Drowning In My Thoughts
by Band-Aid Addiction
Summary: Elise Schulyer and Edward Cullen have absolutely no idea who each other are. Yet, when fate helps and they are brought together, it seems they aren't who each other thought they were. Please Review. :
1. Chapter 1

I tossed and turned in my sleep, not that I could sleep yet it seemed that I was too restless

Chicago, 1918

I tied my black hair with a ribbon and hurried downstairs to where my father was waiting.

He put on his coat and opened the front door of the house.

"My dear, you look lovely." He said, as he kissed my forehead and lead me outside.

"Thank you father." I replied with a smile.

"Now, remember what I said." He warned, pointing his index finger at me.

I sighed, "Yes father. No running off to wherever and absolutely no boisterous noise."

"Good." He said and his smile faded instantly. "Elise, please don't roam around, I beg of you. If it were not for you being alone at home since your mother went to New York because of your sick aunt, I swear to God, I would never bring you with me."

"Oh hush, father. You're talking like it will be the death of me." I said, waving a hand as we walked briskly to the hospital at least two blocks away from our house.

"I'm not joking Elise. These people are sick and are contagious. I don't want you going near them." He said sternly.

"Now button up your jacket. I don't want you catching a cold. Got it?" He said as he put his hand on the door.

"Yes, father." I said, trying not to roll my eyes at him.

"Dr. Black!" The nurses called after him as he dragged me along the halls of the already crowded hospital. Everybody was in hysterics and it seemed that my father was utterly confused at what was happening at the moment.

"Chrostopher." A smooth voice said from behind us. My father looked his way and nodded in greeting.

"Carlisle. I say, what is happening?" My father said as doctors and nurses passed us by, bumping our shoulders with not a care in the world to say an apology.

"My dear friend, even if I do not like being the giver of bad news, I have no choice but to tell you that this epidemic has worsen immensely overnight." He said, a worried look on his pale, handsome face. And as if he just noticed me beside my father he turned and said, giving me a small smile, "Good morning Elise."

I greeted him as well, yet instead of looking at him, my eye caught a bronzed hair boy at the corner of the room, on his whitewashed bed, his hands in fists as he grabbed unto his sheets as the nurse told him something, his face contorted with anger and sadness. He looked like he was about to thrash the place down in frustration yet was too weak to do anything at all except glare and cough.

"That's Edward Masen." Carlisle told me, as he noticed that I was looking at him. I blushed and glanced at my father. To my surprise, he was gone.

"Your father went with Dr. Easton. It seems there was an emergency. He told me to keep an eye on you." He said, as if he was reading my mind.

"Father still thinks that I'm still a child." I said, shaking my head.

"Nonsense, he's just worried about you." Carlisle said and pressed his hand against my back, urging me to move forward.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to him. He needs a friend. His parents just died." He said, sympathy in his voice.

"Dr. Cullen." Edward said, he didn't smile, he didn't nod in greeting. He just looked at him then he bent down his head and his back began to shake as tears dropped on his white sheets.

"Edward. I'm very sorry. There was nothing I could do. I'm terribly sorry, Edward. Please forgive me." Carlisle said, patting the boy's back, trying to comfort him.

"It's fine, Dr. Cullen. I know it's not your fault. It's this retched flu, killing us all. Some survive, some don't and I always wanted to get through this yet now I don't know what to think." He said, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, his head still bent down.

"Edward, don't ever think that ever again. Now pull yourself together. You're going to get through this."

"Thank you, Doctor." Edward said, finally raising his head and looking at Carlisle.

He smiled, "Good and call me Carlisle, everyone does."

"Oh, and Edward, I want to meet a friend. This is Elise Black."

Edward finally noticed me standing there and I looked into his deep green eyes and smiled.

"Hello Edward."


	2. Chapter 2

I twirled my finger around my dark brown hair and smiled as Edward told me about one of his friends. I laughed as he told me a joke and gave me one of his smiles.

Edward. I never thought that someone as bedridden as him or someone who, just after losing everyone he loved, could have so much optimism, so much hope that he would get better. I was about to tell him about his infectious smile when a hand pressed against my shoulder. It was my father. I frowned, it was obviously time to go. I looked out the window noticing from the first time that it was already dark. I stood up with a sigh.

"Goodbye Edward." I said, waving my hand at him as my father walked up to Carlisle and announced his departure.

"Wait." He said as he grabbed my wrist. His grip on me feeble. My heart sank.

"Edward, I—" I said.

"Promise me, you'll come tomorrow. Promise me." He pleaded, his eyes searching mine, desperate.

I smiled, "Of course."

"Elise, let's go." My father called from the door.

"I've got to go, but I swear, I'll be here tomorrow and the next day and the next day…. until you don't need me anymore." I said mumbling the last part as I went6 out the door.

I half walked, half skipped on the way home, my father, looking at the sun go down on the horizon.

"So, it seems that you've made good friends with Edmund."

I rolled my eyes, "It's Edward, Father." He chuckled.

"I know, I was just teasing you." He said as he tapped his finger on the tip of my nose.

"Do you think he's getting better?" I asked him, curious.

"I don't really know. Carlisle's the one who's monitoring him the whole time. But, from what I heard, yes."

"That's good." I said with a smile.

He laughed and opened the door to the house.

"Father?" I said, breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

"May I come with you again tomorrow? I promised Edward that I would visit him."

"Sure Elise."

"Thank you." I mumbled to him as I went up the stairs and went to bed, trying to control the excitement of seeing Edward the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up earlier than usual and was out the door before my father was even dressed up. Excited much? As we reached the hospital early that morning, I saw Edward in his bed still sleeping. Not wanting to wake him up, I got a chair and rested my head on his bed falling back to sleep again. I was awakened by Edward who was stroking my hair. I smiled at him.

"Good morning." I greeted him and rubbed my eyes.

He smiled, "You came back."

"Of course, I promised you."

He just smiled and we began chatting again till the sun fell down.

It has been over a week that I've been visiting Edward and to be honest, I never felt this happy in my life.

Edward gave a hearty cough and I flashed him a worried look. He smiled at me, reassuring me he was okay but I knew from his eyes that he wasn't.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked me.

"The truth? You. I'm worried Edward." I said, looking away from him. It was downright awful seeing him like this. It's really strange but now, it seemed that I haven't known Edward for just a week, it's like I've known him since forever.

"Elise, don't worry. As long as you're here, I'll be fine." He said waving a hand then realized what he just blurted out and looked away, his face flushed. I looked down as well, pleased with what he said.

"Thank you, Edward. I'm glad, I met you as well." I smiled. He grinned back and we both laughed.

I stood up, knowing it was about time to leave and I bid farewell to Edward.

"Elise wait." He said.

"Hm?" I inquired. He sat up from his bed and leaned forward to me, pressing his lips on mine, sweet and soft.

"I – Thank you." He said, sliding a pale hand down my cheek. I squeezed his hand and just smiled.

"Elise, I won't lie to you, you know I don't and I never will. Edward's getting worse." My father said as we walked home that night.

"No he isn't. I just saw him a while ago. He's just been coughing a bit more than usual." I said, denying what he said.

"Elise, I'm sorry but—" He stopped when he saw my face. He reached out and wrapped his arms around me and that's when everything became blurred and I could feel the tears flowing from my cheeks. I didn't want to believe him.

"I'm sorry, Elise. I'm sorry." My father kept repeating yet I knew that no matter how many times he said it, it wouldn't make Edward better.

It hurt but I had to see him again, I did promise him that I'd be there until he wouldn't need me anymore and I could see in his eyes that he needed me, and that I needed him. I walked in the hospital and saw Carlisle talking to him, telling him about his worsening condition. Edward looked at me and guilt flashed on his face. Carlisle saw me and smiled, leaving us alone and going to some of his other patients.

"Elise, forgive me. I didn't know what I was thinking yesterday. I'm terribly sorry." He said, looking downcast. He regretted kissing me? I felt a stab in my chest.

"I'm so sorry, now you might get the disease and it's all because of me and—" He began blabbering but I pressed a finger to his lips.

"Ssshhh. You're just going to tire yourself out you know." I said, smiling.

He smiled back, "I'm just glad you're here."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day was worse, he couldn't talk too much and he was very weak and needed the rest, nevertheless I was there

The next day was worse, he couldn't talk too much and he was very weak and needed the rest, nevertheless I was there. He'd just give me those smiles once in a while and I'd hold his hand and we'd know that we'd get through this. Both of us, together. It was a comfortable silence to say the least, and sometimes I'd watch him as he slept, his pale handsome face and his bronze hair, glistening in the sunlight which was shining from the window beside his bed. He was terribly ill yet he still managed to look perfect in my eyes.

The next few days were just like that yet on the fourth day of his worsening situation, I just couldn't help the tears that fell down my face that day. He was too weak, the bags under his eyes too prominent. I didn't want to look at him…. Yet I had no other choice. I promised him that I'd be there till the end and I'll always keep that promise. No matter how hard. For Edward.

It was wrong in every sense and I was too young to know what it truly meant and how I really felt but when I felt those tears roll down my cheeks I just knew it. I knew that I loved Edward, no matter what, I was going to love him forever.

"I love you." I mumbled to him as I lay my head beside him.

He smiled at me weakly, "I have always loved you, Elise, from the first time I saw you, I've loved you."

The tears fell down harder and I tried to keep my composure.

No one needed to say it. Neither Edward nor I. We both knew what was happening. We both knew his time was almost up.

"Don't worry, you kept your promise Elise, you've stayed with me all this time. Now I'll promise you something, we'll be together no matter what okay? We'll be together in the end. I promise you. I love you." He said and he closed his eyes, too tired to speak.

"I love you too."

I sniffed and kissed his lips again, heading home. I just couldn't see him like that.

I didn't sleep the whole night and when my father told me the news the next morning, I still cried my heart out and sobbed till I ended up hyperventilating. I knew it was coming but I just couldn't stop myself. I told my father I'd go for a walk and that's what I did. The whole day I walked around town aimlessly and at the end of the day I was standing over a high cliff looking down at the river below. Then I had that thought. Edward said we'd be together. It was crazy but so what? What have I to lose, now that the one I love is gone? I held my breath and fell down, as I watched the red sky and the setting sun and watched as I felt my body falling and falling and falling until I crashed down to the earth. My body ached all over and I felt a sticky liquid flowing from my head yet the sound of the flowing river calmed me, soothed me, reminded me that I'd soon be with Edward.

Yet, suddenly, I heard branches snap and the sound of shoes crushing the stones on the ground. Someone was there, the person tried helping me up yet didn't succeed, he tried to stop the bleeding, yet he couldn't. He knew I was a lost cause and the pain was growing stronger every single second but then suddenly the pain changed.

It was a different kind of pain from the last, the pain was like fire. Fire through your veins, and I screamed, kicked, flailed my arms yet it didn't subside. I couldn't even open my eyes. I wanted to let it stop, I wanted to just die but I couldn't. It was maddening. I could feel it, it was like poison, seeping through me. I felt it everywhere, every cell in my body felt like it was in flames. It hurt, it hurt so bad I thought I'd go insane. I thought it'd go on forever. But after an eternity, it faded away. I thought I was dead but something inside me told me I wasn't. It made me cry even more.


	5. Chapter 5

"Drink." Someone ordered and all I could do was oblige as he tipped the glass and the liquid flowed down my throat. It tasted of blood yet it addicted me It tasted and smelt really good as well. It was very mouth-watering. I wanted more. "Relax." He told me as he fluffed one of the pillows so I could prop my head on it.

"I'm William." He said, his hand stretched out. He had really gold eyes, jet black hair and a pale face with high cheekbones, making him look like he was born an aristocrat.

"Elise." I said, then asked him what was going on. He explained everything to me and I still couldn't believe it.

"I wish you left me there to die." I told him truthfully.

He looked aghast, "Well, my dear, don't blame me. It was fate."

"Fate?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, fate. If I wasn't there that day I wouldn't have seen you. Fate lead us together. That means that you shouldn't have died….well, in that case. I mean, you're dead now, but you're still alive though." He said with a smile. He had a sort of accent, like he was from Europe.

"Britain actually, but then I travel a lot." He answered my unasked question.

"You read minds?" I asked, impressed.

"Not really, I just saw it through your expression. But, yes, some vampires get gifts sometimes." He said with a chuckle.

"Oh. So we drink…. Blood?" I asked.

"Yes, but not human blood, at least not me though. Killing off humans isn't actually….. heartwarming."

"Animals then?"

"Yes. And don't worry, I'll teach you all you need to know."

"How old are you anyway?" I asked, curious.

"Nineteen."

"Really now?"

"Yes. I've been nineteen for seventy years now. Just don't tell a soul." He said with a wink.

"Have you ever turned someone into a vampire before? ... I mean, aside from me."

"Now that I think about it, never."

"Do you think you could turn a dead person into a vampire?"

"Now why would you be asking that?" He asked me with a raised brow.

"Just curious."

"I have no clue but I'm guessing not."

"Oh." I can't believe I even thought of it for a millisecond. I felt woozy and closed my eyes. It felt strange, everything felt strange now. My body felt like it was stone. I felt like everything around me was brighter, enhanced. And there wasn't any sense of heat in me, no warmth just cold. And it didn't feel right. Nothing felt right anymore.

"Drink some more." William opened a flask and poured more of the sticky liquid in the glass. I obliged.

"Careful." He said when he saw me greedily drinking it all.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, embarrassed.

"No worries. Newborns are usually like that." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Nothing." He then touched my cheek and looked in my eyes.

"Strange." He muttered more to himself than to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes, they're dark blue."

"Oh, my eyes are really like that, why?"

"Interesting. Now that you're… well, not human anymore it's supposed to turn gold or bloodshot red, it depends on what type of blood you drink."

"Oh, and you drink animal blood so yours are gold."

"Yes, yet yours seem to not change its colour. That's a first. It's supposed to be turning a nice shade of amber by now." He said, gently lifting my chin so that he could see my eyes clearly.

"Hm, strange. Do we have magic?" I asked.

"No, yet a selected few have a sort of gift."

"What's yours?"

"Nothing."

"Oh."

"But I can cook."

"That's definitely a gift."

"A very special one, indeed."

I took off the covers and stood up, noticing my clothes were still the one that I'd worn a few days back. It was caked with a lot of blood.

"I have a change of clothing here for you." William said, giving me the clothes neatly folded on the bedside table.


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are you going?" William asked as I began walking out of the room.

"I need to visit my father."

"No." He blocked the door. "Elise, you can't. He'd notice what you've become. Look. And you've been gone for 3 days, they'd think you are dead. Gone."

He pointed to the mirror and I followed his finger to see a girl who looked nothing like me. I stifled a gasp. It was definitely not me. Her wavy dark brown hair, porcelain face and those dark blue eyes stared right back at me. Would my father notice the change? He definitely would.

"William, does that mean I won't be able to see him ever again?"

"I'm sorry, this is the way it should be. Think of what will happen to us when they know what we truly are." We're monsters. But I had to go out. I had to see for myself.

"I- I'll be back. I just want to see something. I promise I won't go to him." I murmured and he moved out of the way to let me pass.

"Hold on." He said and got a cloak from the drawer. "Wear this, don't let anyone see you. Be discreet." I grabbed hold of the cloak but he wouldn't let go. "And Elise, be careful. Don't let the sense of blood lure you into attacking the people, into losing control. Hold your breath if you must."

I nodded and he released the cloak. "Go. Before the sun rises."

I went out the door and put the hood on, held my breath and walked briskly to the cemetery. It was now or never.

I was at the entrance of the town cemetery when I suddenly froze. Rain was showering mercilessly and my head felt light. I willed myself to open the metal gate and a loud creak echoed through the wee hours of the morning. It made my heart sink. I was alone. I wandered along the cobblestone path searching for the name I wanted yet at the same time feared to see. I then noticed a place with new gravestones. It was the Masens. My eyes browsed at the names. His father, mother and then next, I just couldn't look anymore. My lower lip shook and I balled my fist, forcing myself to look. My knees sank to the muddy ground as I trembled, the rain wetting my clothes. There was a flash of lightning yet I was too blind to see, there was a rumble of thunder but I was too deaf to hear. I was numb. I gasped.

"_Do you think you could turn a dead person into a vampire?"_

"_Now why would you be asking that?" He asked me with a raised brow._

"_Just curious."_

"_I have no clue but I'm guessing not."_

I'm crazy, I know that already.

I began digging my hands in the ground, scooping up the muddy earth, determined to get to the wooden casket, leading me to him.

"Elise." A voice said from my back. I didn't hear it.

"Elise." It said, once again. Pleading. This time, I heard it.

"William." I moaned and my body gave in. He caught me just in time.

"Shhh…. Come, let's go home." He said, picking me up effortlessly.

"No! There's still hope. William, please!" I gasped, desperate. His eyes softened but he didn't say a word, he didn't move an inch.

I pleaded again, clutching his shirt. "Please, William." Then darkness washed over me.


	7. Chapter 7

Present Time

"Are we there yet?" I asked for the one millionth time already.

"Almost." William said, staring down the road.

It was too quiet and I fidgeted in my seat. I hated long drives and it's been almost 6 hours that I've been seated.

"Can't this thing go any faster?"

"We're going at 150, Elise. Be patient."

Silence again.

"Hey William, why Forks?" I suddenly asked.

"I don't want to stay indoors the whole time. Plus, a friend's here."

"And we're staying with them?"

"Until the house is done. It'll just take a couple of weeks. If only I could, I'd strangle the architect right now. The house was supposed to be finished this week." He gritted his teeth. I laughed.

"We're here." He parked the car suddenly and went out to get the bags out of the trunk.

I sighed and got out as well, looking at the big house in front of me, by the time I was on the doorstep of William's friend's house, William was carrying all the bags already and waiting for me to ring the doorbell. I obliged and a second after a blonde haired man opened the door for us, he looked startled. Wrong house maybe?

"Carlisle!" William said in a very cheery disposition but instead of greeting him, Carlisle looked even more staggered, looking at me and William.

"Carlisle?" William asked, his brow raised as Carlisle composed himself.

"Terribly sorry. Well, William. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"And you as well, of course. And this is Elise, the girl I've been telling you about." He gestured to me.

"Good afternoon." I greeted to Carlisle with a smile. He smiled back at me.

"Now, where are my manners? Come in, come in." He said, moving aside for us to go inside his house and he led us in the living room.

"Ah! Here we are. Let me introduce you to my family." Carlisle gestured around. "This is Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice."

After greetings were exchanged, Alice and Jasper lead me to the guest room where William and I were supposed to stay in, leaving the others downstairs.

"Esme, why don't you go upstairs and help Elise settle in, Jasper and Alice are with her right now." Carlisle said as soon as Emmett and Rosalie left.

"Of course." Esme mumbled and left.

"Now William, I would love to know the story of how Elise Black is alive and well." Carlisle said, now in the comfort of the both of them only.

"Elise Black? It's now Elise Schuyler, Carlisle." William answered, unnerved.

"Oh stop it William, we both know what I'm talking about."

William sighed, "She jumped off a cliff. I couldn't leave her to die."

"I can't believe she hasn't realized who you were, Dr. William Easton." Carlisle said with a smirk.

"She hasn't actually seen me, sure her father has spoken about me on several occasions but that's quite it."

"And I told you of their story of course."

"Elise and Edward? Yes, yes, of course. How could I forget?"

"Well then, it seems that you know that this Elise and that are one and the same."

"Yes, yet I only knew just after I changed her. I couldn't really tell at all before that, there was too much blood and panic."

"And the night on the cemetery?"

"Ah, I had some inclination you were there. I could feel a presence."

"And?"

"And… well, she—Elise tried to change the dead."

"Edward." Carlisle said yet came in only a whisper, in dead shock. No one has ever tried that before, no less a newborn.

"Yet she fainted before she could do anything rash. It was all the emotions, I think. I have never seen one of us faint in my whole life."

"And then what happened? For it seems that she has no remembrance of who I am."

"When she woke up, she couldn't remember a thing. Her father sure, but you and that human, no." Willaim shook his head.

"That's…. odd." Carlisle chuckled. "And the human? Not anymore, William."

Right on cue, the front door opened.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here, well if it isn't Edward Masen." William said with a smirk.


	8. Chapter 8

"Carlisle?" Edward asked, his brow creased.

"Just a friend of mine, Edward. You might remember him, Dr. Easton."

"Pleasure to meet you again, Edward. It's been too long. Actually, I had no clue you were still alive till just about 10 seconds ago." William greeted and chuckled.

"I apologize, Doctor but I just can't remember you at all. I'm sorry, but it's nice to meet you." Edward said and with that, turned his back and began ascending the stairs.

"Aren't you going to go after him before he sees Elise and becomes the second vampire we've seen in our life faint?" William asked sarcastically but Carlisle didn't move an inch, he was just boring his eyes into William's.

"I just thought that boy had such a bad memory. It seems I was mistaken, what did you do Carlisle?"

"Did you know that Edward can read minds?"

"That's beside the point and don't worry, no one's getting in here." William said, tapping his head with a finger.

"Oh, and why's that?" Carlisle asked, curious.

"Elise. Her mind's gone mental like Edward's. You can actually have a conversation with her without talking, plus she knows when people are prying into her mind and with others as well."

"Interesting."

"Not really, it's quite annoying. She bugs me most of the time."

"Really? And how—"

"We're getting sidetracked. What did you do to Edward?"

Carlisle sighed and pressed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "The knowledge of him living forever without her was killing him, so I got his memories erased."

"Ah, Theodore." William said, understanding. Theodore was also a vampire, who had the power to block memories too hard to forget. He was also one of the lesser in the Volturi. "In exchange for what?"

"Nothing."

"Psh. You can't fool me Carlisle, I know how Theo works. Everything has to be exchanged with something of the same price."

"My service to the Volturi."

"And what will you do when they ask you to kill off some 'pests'"

"My problems exactly. Theo told me he'd unblock the memories again but I can't let that happen. It'll kill him."

"Not really, Elise seems to be miraculously alive."

"Edward loves someone else now."

"Oh. Who?"

"Bella. A human." Carlisle said, his face too serious for William.

William stifled a laugh. "A human? Really?" He couldn't help but laugh, he didn't really think of humans inferior because he was one, a long time ago, but he laughed because of surprise.

"Yes, and he really loves her. And if he's happy, it's fine with me."

"That's…. nice." William said with a smile.

Carlisle sighed, waving a hand. "Go on and laugh. I know you want too. I want take it against you. Go on."

William burst out laughing, looking as immature as a 19 year old could get.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle. I'll stop now."

Carlisle cracked a smile even if he thought the subject was not one bit funny. "I'm really happy we met again William."

"Me too, Carlisle, me too." He said with a final outburst of laughter.

Alice and Jasper left me in the really big guest room to unpack my bags when someone knocked on the door. I looked at the big wooden door in confusion but muttered, "Come in."

"Hello." A boy the same age as me said, entering the room.

"Oh, hello. I'm Elise." I said stretching out my hand.

"I'm Edward. It's nice to meet you." He said but ignored my outstretched hand. I frowned. Well wasn't he impolite. I was about to tell him something when he tried to peer inside my mind. I blocked him before he realized what was happening. He staggered backwards because of the force.

"That's quite rude you know." I said, as I turned my back on him and began taking out some of William's clothes from the bag. I hate people who thought they could just look inside someone's head for no reason at all.

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to know who your companion was."

"Still not a good reason to pry into people's minds. His name's William."

"Oh, thank you. Do you need help with that?" He said as he stood beside me.

"No. You, leaving, would be great though." I said, bitterly. Confusion flashed on his face then he lost any sign of emotion.

"Fine. I was just trying to help." He said as he began leaving.

"Sure, and I have every right to know what you're thinking about at the moment." I countered. I could feel his glare at the back of my head. He stomped all the way out and slammed the door shut behind him. Well, someone has a temper.

"Nice one, Edward." Emmett said as soon as he exited the door.

"Good going." Alice commented as well.

"Oh, shut it." Edward hissed and headed straight to his room.

I could tell I wasn't going to get along well with that boy.


	9. Chapter 9

It was pitch dark and the comforter was up till my neck. I began drumming my fingers on the bedside in boredom.

"Will you shut it? I'm trying to rest." William murmured in the bed next to mine.

"Sure, like you have the ability to sleep." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm tired; at least stay quiet for me to rest."

"I am too, but I'm just not familiar with this place…. I want to go outside." I crossed my arms over my head.

"Then go."

"But I can't leave you here; you might not know what trouble you might get into."

"Thanks. I love you too." He said sarcastically, throwing me a pillow. I threw it back at him.

"Oh! So, you want to fight, do you?" He taunted as he stood up on his bed, pillow in hand.

"Yeah, I do." I said, standing up on my bed as well. "How mature. I can't believe you're a hundred years older than me."

"Well I can't believe you're almost a hundred years old." He pounced at me, his pillow whacking my head. He slipped his foot under my leg making me fall on my bed.

"Ow! You're so immature!" I grumbled as I hit him on the side making him fall on my bed as well.

"Psh. Like you aren't, I as a matter of fact am—" I covered his mouth with my pillow.

"Hush. I think I hear something."

And true enough, there was a faint melody coming from downstairs. Something soft and sad, it was enchanting.

He groaned, "I hate it whenever music has that effect on you."

"I'll be back." I stealthily made my way out the bedroom door and down the stairs. When I came to the base of the stairs I sneaked a peek at who was playing on the piano, thinking it was probably Rosalie who had some kind of musical talent. I rolled my eyes. Never mind, that bronze hair stood out perfectly well.

The music then turned more urgent, desperate and then suddenly at the middle of it all, Edward slammed his fists on the piano keys. Again with the anger issues.

Well that seemed like it was the end of the concerto.

I turned my back and was about to ascend back into the room when Edward called out "Who's there?"

I was caught.

_Relax, it's just me. _I thought, moving closer so that we were at least 2 feet away.

_Oh, it's her again._ I could see him roll his eyes in the dark.

_I can hear you, you know._

_Oh joy. She can lurk in my head but I can't._

_Stop talking like I can't hear you._

_I haven't been talking. I've been thinking._

_Well, I'm sorry. _I snapped, sarcastically.

_You're forgiven. _

I grunted and turned my back to go upstairs.

"Where are you going?" He asked, curious.

"Going back to bed, what else?"

"What's the point of going to bed if you can't fall asleep." He smirked. He had a point there.

"To rest. What do you do at night anyway?" I asked him.

"Nothing really, just listening to music or playing the piano. Sometimes, walk around town." He shrugged.

"Mhm. I heard from Jasper that you sometimes go to some human's house at night. Isn't that a bit….. stalker-ish?"

He looked away. "It's none of your business."

"Whatever you say, stalker."

Note: goat rocks wildreness, south of mt. rainier.


	10. Chapter 10

"Quit being immature." Edward groaned.

"My apologies." I mumbled, rolling my eyes. Pretty immature for a vampire over a hundred right? I pretty much have a split personality in some weird sense. Sometimes, I'm totally mature and then I breakdown and act like a 12 year old.

_Really? I haven't noticed that._

_Oh shut it. And stop going to places you aren't wanted._

Edward broke into a grin and stepped back his arms held up in mock surrender.

"So tell me about your eyes. I'd like to hear about that." He asked as he lay down casually on the marble floor. It seems like someone has a personality disorder as well.

"My eyes? I don't really have much to say about them. I don't have any clue really how it got messed up like that." I shrugged, talking about my dark blue eyes that didn't seem to have turned into amber when I was changed.

"A mess? I think it's beautiful. Talk about unique. You've got a special ability and your eyes are different." He complimented. I sat down beside him my back against the white wall. We became silent.

"Have we met before?" He whispered suddenly, almost inaudible.

"Not that I know of, no." I answered, my brow creased. "Why?"

He shrugged, and looked at me a weird expression in his eyes. "Nothing really. You just seem oddly familiar. Your eyes, the most."

"Hm. I don't remember you at all though. I'm sorry." I murmured.

"Strange, that's what happened to me when William said I had met him before." He pondered.

"Really? You've met William?"

"Well, according to Carlisle and William, yes. But I don't remember a thing. It was 92 years ago though. When I was still human." When I heard that, my ears perked up.

"92 years ago? That was the time I was changed as well."

He gave me a raised eyebrow, "You're joking. Was William the one who changed you?"

"Yes. And Carlisle you."

"Of course. So, if William and I met when I was still human and that was the same year you were changed as well. Were you from Chicago?"

"I was. Maybe we were acquaintances or some sort."

"Were you sick at that time?"

"Sick? As in with the influenza that was spreading that time?"

"Yes, I was one of them. The ones in the really cramped up hospital like place. Carlisle and William were doctors there, I presume."

"I wasn't, well, not that I recall."

"How did you… well…"

"Oh. I don't recall much. William said things about someone pushing me off a cliff or something but I'm not too sure about that. What person would in their sane mind push a complete stranger a cliff?" I said, digusted. Then lowered my voice. "Sometimes, I think William's hiding things from me. But I could never tell what though."

Edward nodded and we both sat down in comfortable silence.

Edward wondered about what she said about them being acquainted almost a hundred years ago. He was so sure; he'd seen her before yet from where, he had no clue. He only knew one thing for sure. Whatever happened 92 years ago, it was not just being acquaintances. It was something much more.


	11. Chapter 11

The doorbell rang and since I was sitting down on the steps of stairs I willed myself to stand up and do the honours of opening the door to a stranger. A stranger who happened to be a pretty brunette. A pretty brunette who smelled like freesia, it was intoxicating.

"Hi. Is Edward home?" She said, a bit confused on who I was.

_Who is she? Is she a vampire? Yet, if she is, why are her eyes a different colour? But she's got to be one, either that or she's a really really pretty model… in a house full of vampires. _She said in her thoughts. Hm. This had to be the human girl, Bella .

"Bella! What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to come by your house later on." Edward said, suddenly appearing by my side. I coughed.

"Oh yes. Elise, this is Bella Swan. Bella, Elise Schuyler." He said, introducing us both.

"Pleasure to meet you Bella. I've heard so much about you." I said with a smile. Now it was Edward's turn to cough.

"Nice to meet you too, Elise." She said.

"Now that introductions are over, let's go in shall we?" Edward said and explained to Bella that William and I were a new addition to Forks and that William was supposed to start work at the local hospital with Carlisle tomorrow.

"So William can resist the temptation of blood as well?" She asked, curious.

"Yeah, I guess." I answered with a shrug.

_I wonder if she has a gift like Edward._

I suppressed a smile, "I don't mean to pry or anything but yes, I do have a gift like Edward and if I do say so myself, it's quite better than his."

Not only Bella but Edward looked staggered.

"What?" I hissed looking at Edward.

"Nothing really." He said, nonchalantly. _Except for the fact that you could read her mind when I can't._

I raised a brow. _Maybe you aren't trying hard enough. _

_Even Alice has a hard time predicting things about Bella._

_Like what I said, my powers are quite better than yours. _I smirked. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Let's just stay in my room, okay? You could come too if you want, Elise." Edward offered. Bella nodded and stood up as he did as well.

"Sure." I said as I stood up as well.

_I'm not trying to complain or anything but could she walk any slower? _I asked Edward. He just sent me a glare.

He opened the door for Bella and I and when I entered his room I gave a huge grin. CDs everywhere. I could live in his room and never come out.

"Like it, Elise?" Edward asked me from somewhere at my back.

"Much more than you'll never imagine." I whispered, still amused at the records.

He chuckled and when I looked at my back. Edward and Bella were seated comfortably on his sofa.

"I like your eyes." Bella said, all of a sudden, with a blush.

I raised an eyebrow from the unexpected compliment but said thank you to her anyway.

_So, do you like her? _Edward asked suddenly.

_I have a say on this? Charming, Cullen._

_I just want to know. Any harm in asking?_

_None at all. She's...fine. She smells good too. _I chuckled and Bella looked at me with a strange look. She glanced at Edward too who was looking at me as I browsed through his collection.

_That's good news. You'll be seeing much of her. _He gave me an expectant smile. I smiled back.

_Oh joy._


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey Elise. Do you want to go to a party tonight? My friend Jessica's holding one at her house." Bella asked me. Edward gave me a look that said 'go on, it's not like you're going to do something tonight'.

"Sure. Why not." I said with a shrug.

"Great. Edward's picking me up at 8, you could just go with us." Someone was a bit enthusiastic to go. "Then the day after I could show you around town."

I just smiled.

_Don't you think she's a bit too clingy sometimes?_

_Who? Bella?_

_No, Santa Claus._

He ignored what I told him. _Clingy? No. Why? _

Why I asked the head over heeled boyfriend what he thought about his girlfriend, I had no clue.

_Never mind._

**Bella's P.O.V. **

"We're here." Edward openly announced as he turned off the engine.

I gave a small "oh" not noticing the fact that we were in Jessica's house already because I was too busy looking at the way Elise and Edward acted in the car. Elise was really pretty, she had raven hair and big dark blue eyes. She looked perfect along side Edward with his red hair and hazel eyes. They were like sun and moon. A speck of jealousy hit me but I ignored it. The silence in the car and the looks they were giving each other meant otherwise. Even at the Cullen's house, the silence was pretty awkward and Edward and I ended up talking to each other while Elise just nodded a few times in agreement and said a few comments. Edward sometimes looked at her curiously then would sometimes chuckle or smirk, earning a glare from Elise. It seemed like they were having a private joke but Elise's face showed she wasn't amused at all. Edward and Elise never really talked to each other. They'd just glance or look at each other sometimes but never did they strike conversation with the other. Either they didn't like each other or the unlikely possibility that they were too wary to say anything to each other.

Edward furrowed his eyebrows and gave a long hard glance at Elise. Elise however was too engrossed looking at the house and the people cramped up inside and some people hanging outside as well too. Odd how those two acted towards each other. Yet as Edward grabbed my hand and led me inside the house, I shrugged the bizarre feeling aside and prepared myself for a night of partying.

I introduced Elise to all the people I knew and the look on their faces already told me that they were intimidated to her as they were to the other Cullens.

**End of Bella's P.O.V. and back to Elise's**

Bella introduced me to at least a dozen people and they all thought the same thing: stay away. What was with these people? Back where William and I used to stay, people were more of intrigued with us rather than intimidated unlike here. I'd ask Edward about it later on, since right now he was with Bella as she was making conversation with her friend, Jessica who held the party because her parents weren't around. I was seated on a red plush couch when a sandy haired boy passed by and my head started to spin. I cussed under my breath and stopped breathing altogether. I then made my way to Bella and Edward.

"Edward, can I talk to you for a second?" I said, with a smile as I cut through their conversation. He mumbled something between a sure and an okay and led me out the house where the music wasn't blasting as loud.

"Edward, I know it's a bad time and I know you want to stay but I'm really sorry. I can't even--" I stopped talking and froze when a girl with red hair passed by. Embarrassing, I know. But it couldn't be helped. Unlike most vampires, where their eyes turn black and they become irritable, in my case is totally different. For me, it happens suddenly, I can't pinpoint exactly when I need to satiate my thirst but when the time comes, I need to hunt and sadly my body chose now as an opportunity.

Edward nodded, understanding.

"Okay, let's get going then." He said as we both slid in the car and he turned on the engine.

_Actually, it's fine, you don't really have to go with me, just bring me to the spot. I can fend myself._

_Don't worry. I'll just hunt with you, I need it anyway._

_Are you sure? It's night and Bella's—_

_It's fine. I'm fine and I'm sure Bella will be fine. No worries._

_But the party._

_What about it? There are tons of other parties we can attend, we've got eternity._

_Good point._

Edward chuckled and sped up to at least 175 km/hr.

I laughed; I was starting to like this guy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Bella's P.O.V.**

I was too busy chatting with all the people that I lost track of time and when I looked to my back to see where Edward and Elise were, I looked back to see both of them gone.

I furrowed my eyebrows and turned to Jessica, "Have you seen Edward or Elise anywhere?"

"Uh, no. Last time I saw them, they were going outside."

Weird. I wonder where they had gone too. As I started walking outside, someone from my history class handed me a glass of punch. I murmured a thanks and walked outside where Lauren was.

"Hey Lauren, have you seen Edward with another girl?"

"Oh, black hair? Really pretty?"

"Yes, her."

"They were here a while back but I have no clue where they went."

"You guys talking about the hot chick?" Some drunk guy said from behind Lauren.

"Ugh. Heath, just shut up…. And try not to vomit on me, please." Lauren said, giving him a disgusted look.

He ignored her and gave me a smirk, "So the hot chick banged your boyfriend? Ouch."

I looked at him skeptically. Edward cheating on me with Elise. Of course not. Yet as much as I wanted not to believe him, I couldn't help but think otherwise. I mean, seriously, what was I thinking? This is Elise we're talking about. Beautiful Elise. A vampire just like Edward. Yet Edward wouldn't cheat on me, I know him.

"Hahahaha, dude, are you talking about that totally hot girl Cullen went off with a while back?" One of his drunk friends said, joining the conversation.

"Exactly!" Heath said and he high- fived the other boy and staggered inside the house.

"Don't mind them Bella, they're drunk." Lauren said as she patted my back and followed the boys inside and that was the time I decided to just call Edward on his cell phone.

On the third ring, Edward answered.

"Hello?" He said, breathless.

"Edward, where are you?"

"Bella, now's not the right time."

"Edward, please, just tell me where you are." I pleaded.

"Hurry up, will you?" A girl's voice said in the background.

"Hold on." He told me and began speaking to someone else, who was probably Elise.

"Just wait." He hissed at her.

"Edward, I'd love to wait but right now, I'd jump on anything that moves. Even you." My heart sank lower. So it was true.

"Okay, just relax. God."

"I can't 'just relax' I NEED this. Okay?"

Then there was silence and I thought Edward was going to pick up the phone again but Elise began rambling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that—"

"Sshhh… okay, okay. I get it. Just ten seconds. Swear." Edward said, trying to calm her down.

"Hello? Bells?"

"Edward? What's happe-"

"I'm so sorry Bella, but I really have to go. I'll call you tomorrow noon when I get back, okay?"

"Sure." My voice said in a squeak as he hung up on me. I sighed and bit my tongue. How could Edward do this to me? I downed the whole glass of punch and poured myself another drink.

"Hey Bella!" A voice called. Mike Newton.

"Hey Mike." I said as I drank my second glass of spiked punch that night.

"Whoa, easy there. Where's Cullen?" He asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

I sneered.

"Okay, never mind about that question. You should lay low on the punch though."

"I don't care."

"I'm serious, Bella."

The more he insisted the more I became stubborn, "I told you I didn't care."

"Fine, you know what? I don't care either." He said pouring himself a drink.

I laughed and clinked glasses with Mike. Trying to drown out the thought of Edward with Elise Schulyer.

**End of Bella's P.O.V.**


	14. Chapter 14

My jeans were torn and I didn't even want to mention the situation of my shirt. Thanks to that persistent bear who wanted me for a midnight snack instead of vice versa, I was left with a fourth of my shirt and clawed jeans. Edward got out not as bad as me. His shirt was ripped on the torso part, exposing his porcelain stomach and his jeans, torn. But the damage the Mountain Lion gave him looked more like a fashion statement than a struggle.

We were both lying on the grass in some open field somewhere outside Forks letting the heat from the morning sunshine douse our bodies and make them sparkle. I brushed a lock of raven hair from my eye and turned to Edward.

_We have to go. _The whole time we were there we never really said a word. Aside from a few grunts and 'yeah right's we were just communicating through our thoughts.

_In a minute. _He groaned. God was he lazy.

_Am not!_

_I don't want to argue with you. _I told him, ending the argument. He just looked away from me and continued ranting in his head, unmindful that I could hear every word he was thinking.

_Can we just go? My shirt looks like a rag of some sort. Rose is going to kill me. This is hers._

Edward gave me an exasperated look. _Did you want to leave just because of your shirt? It looks nice, to be honest. Some sort of new fashion, it'd be a hit._

I glared, _Stop mocking me, Cullen. And yes, I wanted to go because of my shirt._

_Why didn't you say anything? _He then shrugged off his shirt and gave it to me; I tried my best not to look at what was beneath it.

_Go on, wear it. _He then turned his back as I proceeded to take my clawed up shirt off and I slipped on his white shirt. It was comfortable to say the least.

_Done?_

_Yes, thank you. _ My back still turned from him, I blocked my thoughts.

I gulped. Okay, I didn't fancy Edward or anything but it didn't mean I didn't think he was…., you know. I laughed at myself silently. I couldn't even get myself to say it. It was just too surreal for me. I willed myself to face him, and it didn't help knowing that right now, he was shooting off rainbows in every direction.

As I turned towards him, he looked my way and gave me a warm smile. I gave him a nervous smile as he lay down on the grass, arms crossed over his head, as he looked back at the clouds. He stretched and I tried my best not to look at his toned body, (which failed miserably to say the least) well built stomach and the way his dark jeans were riding on his hips. The high cheekbones of his smooth pale face and body shone like a thousand stars, the way it sparkled was nerve-wrecking. Unlike mine, which looked more like me getting doused with a bottle of glitter, which made your skin itchy, the bad, cheap kind of glitter. I then unblocked my mind, ridding myself of any unruly thought about Cullen, and copied Edward's position.

_A favorite pastime? _I asked him.

_In a way. It helps me relax._

_We should really get back, you know. They're all probably waiting for us._

_They can wait._

_Cullen. _I taunted him. I then sat up and crossed my arms, giving him a glare.

_Cuteness doesn't faze me. _ He gave me a knowing smile.

_Ugh. I wasn't trying to look cute, I was trying to look stern. _I rolled my eyes.

_Not working._

_Oh c'mon, Cullen! Let's go, we haven't got all day. _I stood up and tapped my foot impatiently.

_Not working._

_I'll drive. _I told him in a sing-song voice.

_Fine. _He said as he stood up as well. _Geez. Can't she get anymore annoying._

I glared at him, _I heard that you know!_

_Oh I know. _He then smirked.


	15. Chapter 15

**Bella's P.O.V.**

I woke up to a massive headache and my body hurt like hell. I sat up from my bad and tried to recall what happened last night. Aside from the sober part of the evening, I only caught glimpses of Mike and Jess bringing me back home. I cringed at the thought that I drank too much that night, knowing that I never drank at all. Thank God Charlie wasn't going to be home up until tomorrow evening from his trip with Billy.

I checked my cell phone and was disappointed to see that Edward hadn't called yet even if he promised he would. Not even a text. Maybe I was just being paranoid. It was just 7 am; he must be still thinking that I was still sleeping right now. Yet, why didn't he at least come by the house? I stood up and dragged my feet to the washroom where I changed my clothes and got ready to go to the Cullen's place for another quick visit.

**End of Bella's P.O.V.**

"And we're back." Edward announced as we steeped inside the house.

"Edward, you should have told us where you were going." Esme said in a mother like manner.

"We went to Jessica's party." Edward defended.

_Jesus! Edward, just tell the woman where we went. _I glared at him; he just ignored me as usual though.

"I meant after that."

"Elise had an emergency."

"I know about the emergency."

"Oh and how did you—Let me guess, Alice?"

"Yup, I saw Elise and you in Goat Rocks hunting." Alice said as she glided down the stairs, Emmett and Jasper in tow.

"Where's your shirt? The lion finally got you didn't it?" Emmett smirked at Edward.

"Getting brittle and old are we now, Edward?" Jasper added with a chuckle.

"It was at pitch black and I had to check on Elise, she might've gotten lost."

"Excuses, excuses." They both said together.

"Plus my shirt's safe and sound, not considering some scratches. It's right here." Edward said as he walked over and pinched the shirt covering my shoulder and lifted it up with two fingers.

"And where's Elise's shirt?" Rose asked as she came down the stairs. My eyes widened. I heard William chuckle from somewhere in the kitchen but I pretended not to hear it.

"I… uhm, I'm so sorry, Rosalie. It got all torn and, it wasn't my fault, I swear. The bear tried to kill me." I said, starting to apologize.

"Obviously." Edward interjected. I glowered at him.

"Oh, don't worry Elise. I've got a hundred other blouses in my closet. It's perfectly fine." Rosalie said, waving her hand at me, a smile on her face.

Edward shot me an 'I told you so' look.

"Oh and Edward?" Alice said, walking towards him.

"Yes?" He asked, turning to her. Without any hesitation, she swiftly got Edward's sleek silver phone out of his back pocket.

"Bella's still waiting for that call you promised." She said, handing him the phone.

"She's probably still sleeping."

"Trust me when I say she isn't." Alice laughed.

Edward then dialed her number and I went to find William as everyone left, going off to do whatever they were up to.

**Bella's P.O.V.**

I was on the road, going towards Edward's house when my cell phone rang a tad bit too loud.

"Hello?" I said, not bothering to see who was calling.

"Bella?"

"Edward!" I exclaimed, somewhat relieved he called.

"I'm terribly sorry about last night. Elise had an emergency, we had to go immediately." He said, paused, then gave a chuckle. I smiled, why had I ever doubted Edward?

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Elise was complaining because ever since we came home this morning everybody's been calling last night her 'little emergency'. Emmett and William most especially."

"Oh." I said, laughing as well. "Well, I'm on my way to your house."

I could feel his frown. "You know, you could've just told me to go to your house. It wouldn't really take much effort."

"It's fine really. See you in a few, bye!"

"Bye." At that, I closed the phone shut and turned my gaze to the road, and that's where I found myself staring right into a big delivery truck heading straight into me.

**End of Bella's P.O.V.**


	16. Chapter 16

**[Mike's P.O.V. (That's right, I meant Mike Newton.)]**

I grumbled as I drove to my Aunt's house a little outside Forks for an errand I was sent to do yet again. Good thing there weren't any cars in the road at the time, so there wasn't any traffic. At least a few feet away I noticed Bella's Pickup in the middle of the street, wrecked. I panicked, stopped the car and I began running towards the accident. The windshield was all broken and I cursed when I opened the door and shards of glass showered out. Bella was there, her head pressed against the wheel and blood oozing out the back of her head. She had lots of cuts as well as bruises and pieces of broken glass tangled up in her hair. I had no idea how the other car in the accident got away and guessed it was some big truck, judging by the mess it left behind. The driver had to be drunk or something of the sort for him to drive on the other side of the road. Either that or he was just plain dumb. I scooped Bella out of her truck and I could see her eyes flitting open and close.

"Bella, Bella, can you hear me?" I called to her.

"Mike…?" She groaned.

"Don't worry; I'll get you to the hospital quick." I said but she grabbed my hand weakly.

"No, no hospital."

"Bella, you have to."

"Mike, I'm begging you. No hospital. Promise?" She murmured, I almost couldn't catch the last part.

I gulped and said the word I'd regret later on, "Promise."

**[End of Mike's P.O.V.]**

William was in the kitchen preparing food, he was a wonderful cook to say the least.

"Who's coming over?" I asked.

William flipped a lock of hair out of his amber eyes and started stirring some spaghetti sauce like substance.

"Some of the doctors are coming for dinner and since it was my day off from work today, I decided to go on kitchen duty instead."

"Oh."

"Edward! Just the person I wanted to see. Is Bella coming over for dinner?" William said enthusiastically as Edward came inside the kitchen and took the seat beside me.

"Hello William. I assume she is. She's on her way here right now." Edward replied.

"Great." William said with a huge smile.

_I never really got the fact that he's nineteen but working already. _Edward asked me.

_A fresh graduate, obviously Edward._ I told him like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

_Well, I'm sorry I even asked. _He came back sarcastically.

_You're not forgiven._

Suddenly Alice burst into the kitchen, wide-eyed and frantic.

"What's wrong?" Edward said standing up and going towards her. He then took a look in her thoughts and since I was still hanging around in his, waiting for another sarcastic comeback from him, when he saw Alice's vision, I saw it too. Alice saw Bella's truck and Bella was in it, the back of her head bloody and the windshield gone, broken into pieces all over the place.

Edward's expression was doused in anxiety and worry as he sped off out of the house. Alice and I glanced at each other for a millisecond and immediately followed him. Edward was running around recklessly, his hand clenching and unclenching, trying to find out where the accident had happened. Alice and I tagged along figuring out where as well. After at least a couple of minutes of looking, without an exchange of words or thoughts from the three of us, we finally found her truck. Edward then ran straight away and threw the door of the red pickup to the trees only to find out Bella was not there.


	17. Chapter 17

Edward cussed under his breath and suddenly disappeared, running off somewhere to find Bella. Alice on the other hand began to silently cry, saying it was all her fault and blaming herself that she should have envisioned it earlier. Jasper who caught up with us a bit after a minute called the police and a few minutes later they arrived at the scene with a distraught Officer Swan in tow.

"Come on Alice, let's get you home." I comforted as we stepped inside Carlisle's car and I drove back to the house. Everybody aside from the two of us were out there, desperately looking for Bella. The police, some of the people in town and the whole Cullen family, even William abandoned his cooking and extended a hand in finding Bella. Since everybody was out and even Jasper insisted that Alice lie down and rest after her bloody vision, I decided to just stay with her instead of going out.

It was almost dawn when everyone came back home. Everyone except Edward, that is. From the look on their faces, the search didn't go to well. Bella's body had not been found.

"Where's Edward?" I asked to Emmett. He just shrugged in response.

"We haven't seen Edward ran away on his own." Esme said, she was worried. I knew she wanted to find him but she seemed too tired after hours of running around, aimlessly looking for Bella.

I jumped out of my seat and volunteered, "I'll go look for him."

"Are you sure, Elise?" Esme asked me.

I smiled at her, "Don't worry. I'll get Edward home in a jiffy."

I then went out of the house in search of Edward. After minutes of searching I found him beside some creek in the forest. He knew I was there but didn't acknowledge me.

_Hey. _I greeted. He just ignored me though, and was still gazing at the crystal water flowing by his feet. I sighed. This was hopeless. I sat beside him and stared at what he was staring at.

_I couldn't find her. Wherever I looked, it was hopeless. _He buried his face in his hands.

_It's fine, Edward. We'll find her, don't worry._

_This is my entire fault—_

_Edward, stop blaming yourself. It's not you fault, it's not Alice's._

_It's that numb skull of a driver's fault. I swear, I'll hunt him down and… and… _He then gave a menacing growl and punched the ground. I felt a shake.

_Calm down, anger issues, Edward. _I patted his back.

_Calm down in a mess like this? _He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. _Besides, it's my fault, if I had called her sooner, this wouldn't have happened._

_Edward, it isn't your fault. _I sighed, this was going nowhere.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by Edward's phone. He gave me a look but answered it.

"Hello?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

"I see."

"Goodbye." He put down the phone and covered his face in his pale hands again. We both stared as the part of the sky was turning bright. Edward didn't have to tell me, he didn't have to say anything, to communicate at all and I already knew what the person in the other line had said. We both knew it before Edward even picked up the phone.

No one could find Bella and since they searched the entire area, they had no choice but to proclaim Bella dead.


	18. Chapter 18

We sat in silence. I didn't know how to comfort Edward, as much as I wanted to. It was hard trying to make your sympathy known to a person who never really shown that much emotion only when he needed to. His face was still buried beneath his arms, his knees near his chest. All I could do was stay beside him and just keep my mouth shut.

I heard a faint rustle of the leaves on the pine trees north of us and four pairs of padded paws racing towards us.

_Edward_ I panicked as I touched his arm. He seemed to notice as well, lifting his head up with grief and distraught lining his features making him look weak and vulnerable. He stood up in preparation to whatever was heading over and whatever that thing was, it was carrying a lot of rage from what I can tell.

Movement from the pine leaves and a black, shaggy wolf suddenly pounced out from the shadows. The small creek separating him from us.

_Cullen. _The werewolf acknowledged.

"Black." Edward said, a hint of scorn in his voice. I looked at him curiously for saying my real last name but shrugged it off, there were a lot of Blacks in the world nowadays.

The werewolf growled _Where's Bella?_

"Exactly what I wanted to ask you, dog." Edward said, rubbing in the last word.

"Calm down, Edward." I warned him. Again.

_Ah, a new lady friend huh, bloodsucker? Bella isn't enough huh? Where are you keeping her anyway?_

Edward's fist clenched up. "Stop accusing me for the things I haven't done. As far as I'm concerned, it's you who has stolen her away."

_Me? _The werewolf gave a howl of laughter. _Cullen, even I wouldn't step down to that level._

"Well, I did not steal her away. I give you my word, Black."

_And I, yours._

"Just remember to alert me if ever you find her."

_Yes. And you as well?_

"Of course."

There was a silent pause and neither one of us moved.

_What if she really is…? _He left the word hanging.

Edward didn't want to accept the fact. "Impossible."

_Anything is possible, Cullen. _

Edward just stood there, like a statue.

_Well then. I'll see you at the funeral._

He just gave a curt nod as the black werewolf turned the other way and dashed back to the woods.

Edward sighed and dropped down on his knees and shifted himself to his knee hugging position a while back.He stroked the clear water in the creek, making ripples on the mirror like water.

_What if she really is gone. _He asked turning to me. His body stiffened as he thought about it.

_Then you just have to move on._

_How? I loved her, Elise. I had been waiting for something since forever, and now that I found it, found her. She just slipped through my fingers. _He sighed as he lifted his hand off of the water and the remaining liquid on his palm slid down his hand and dripped back to the creek.

_If she is gone, you'll still have a part of her Edward. The memories. They last for an eternity._

_Thank you, Elise. _He gave me a meaningful smile, brightening up just a little bit.

_For what? _I raised a brow, I hadn't really done anything.

_Everything. _

_Don't mention it, Edward. Let's just get you home. Esme's worried sick about you. _I stood up, brushed the dirt from my pants and Edward and I went back to the Cullen's house.


	19. Chapter 19

**Four Days After**

**[Mike's P.O.V.]**

I was sitting in a black bean bag at the corner of my room. I've been staring at the unconscious Bella on my bed since at least an hour ago, rehearsing in my mind the things I was going to tell her the moment she woke up… if she ever did that is. It has been the fourth day after the accident and the search for Bella was called off last Tuesday. I was nervous and I broke into a cold sweat when Officer Swan rang the doorbell to ask if I had seen Bella anywhere. I lied. Why? I had no clue. I blurted out an 'I don't know' before I could stop myself. If only I hadn't been such an idiot by not talking Bella to the hospital. If only I wasn't such a jerk to still wish I had a chance with Bella even if Cullen was on the loose. If he ever found out she was still with me, still alive. He'd strangle me. I'm a hundred percent sure he would.

I stumbled to the bed when Bella's eyes suddenly flitted open and she groaned.

"Bella, Bella, can you hear me?" I asked, frantic. She just shifted her position on the bed.

I brushed her hair away from her face careful not to hurt the bruise on her forehead.

She opened her eyes and looked at me confused. "Who are you?"

That had to be the most cliché thing to say in a situation like this.

"It's me, Mike, Mike Newton." I said. If this was some messed up movie the next question would have to be…

"Who am I?" You have GOT to be kidding me.

"Bella, this isn't funny." I answered, cracking a smile.

Her eyes welled up with tears. Oh, hell no.

"I'm not kidding! Who am I? I'm Bella, aren't I?" She pounded her fists weakly on the sheets.

"Calm down, calm down, I'm sorry I thought you were joking, and yes, you are Bella. Bella Swan to be exact." I said and mentally slapped myself. If ever she goes out remembering nothing except for 'Mike Newton', people would hunt me down.

"What happened? Oh gosh, I can't believe I don't remember anything at all." Me neither.

"You got into a car accident."

She didn't say anything after that, she just rolled to the side and the tears started to fall.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I whispered to her, but she had already fallen asleep by then.

**[End of Mike's P.O.V.]**

I was walking across the hallway to go down the stairs when I noticed Edward's door slightly open. Edward was looking at himself in the mirror. He was clad in black making his pale skin look stunning. His hair tamed down and his face paler than I've ever seen before, he turned towards me and gave me a weak smile.

"Hey." He greeted. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded, "Emmett and Jasper just came home though. They're getting ready just now."

_Can I come in? _I asked.

_Sure._

I then went inside, somehow uncomfortable with everything. With Edward. Maybe I should just give him some space. He is just about to leave for Bella's wake, it must be hard. Even harder knowing he was had to move on from Bella.

I made up my mind and as I was already inside his room, I quickly turned around and was about to leave when I hand grabbed unto my wrist and stopped me.

_Please don't leave. _I stiffened. Edward's voice in my head had been clear, grave and I felt every inch of his feelings that he was trying to hide, to shut from the outside world. It was terrible.

_Please. _He repeated, releasing his grip. I gave in and walked towards the sofa, and flopped down on it. I wanted to hug him, tell him it was alright. Yet, knowing Edward that would be a little too much for him.

He cleared his throat, pretending whatever happened a few seconds back was nothing. "So, I heard your house is done."

"Yes, I'm pretty excited about moving in. William too. I haven't seen it yet, though."

"When are you planning to move?"

"I'm not so sure, but maybe this week."

"So soon?"

"William says it's for the best. We have been making a raucous in your house for far too long." I said with a wink.

"I beg to differ, you actually make it fun here at home." He said, smiling at me.

"Oh, ha-ha, laugh at the girl always getting picked on." I stuck my tongue out.

"It's not my fault Emmett teases you all the time. You do the silliest things sometimes." He laughed.

"I really will miss you here." He told me, flashing me his second smile since the last three days.


	20. Chapter 20

Bella. Pictures of Bella. Memories of Bella. Things of Bella. Everything Bella. Everything Beautiful.

A picture of Bella stood on a pristine marble table and I and the rest of the Cullens stepped into that room full of sorrow, regret and goodbyes. People looked at us, whether in awe or condolences.

"That was her boyfriend." A lady whispered to the one beside her.

"The blonde?" She answered incredulously.

"No, the one with red hair."

"Oh. Pity." She said with a tsk.

Edward's jaw clenched but he pretended that he couldn't hear every single conversation in the room. Not to mention every single thought as well. We approached Chief Swan and Bella's mother, Renee. They were seated in the front most seats and as Edward approached, Renee, who was flushed from all the tears, threw herself at him and she began to sob again. Edward was shocked from her behavior and even if he tried his best to offer sympathy all he could do was pat her back as he remained stiff, uncomfortable and not letting his true emotion show. I knew how he truly felt, the hardship he was going through. It was all too much.

Finally, Renee composed herself and releasing Edward turned towards us. She looked a lot like Bella, with her hair and everything, and as I expressed my condolences to her she managed to give me and the other Cullen members a small smile. Thanking us for trying to help find Bella. She especially thanked Edward who looked away and tried not to get too annoyed at the fact that whatever he tried to do, he still couldn't find Bella anywhere.

**[Mike's P.O.V.]**

Bella was eating a bowl of Cheerios as I just looked at her. A few moments ago, Jess had rung me to ask if I was going to Bella's funeral today. A funeral for the girl who had been sleeping in my bed at the moment. I made an excuse that my mother might be coming home today when the whole town knew that she'd be coming home at least a month or two from now. Knowing her, she'd make up an excuse prolonging her business trip in New York. She had always been a great mother. I inwardly rolled my eyes at the irony of it all. Bella had woken up a few moments ago and I gave her something to eat. Too bad Cheerios were the simplest thing I could think of at the moment.

Of course, they'd expect me to come at least twice to Bella's funeral. But how can I when she was here with me knowing absolutely nothing about who she is? I wish I hadn't passed the wreckage. I wish it was all easier but what can I do? It was destined, and now that it's done I have no choice but to make the best of the situation.

"So, tell me more about…. Myself." Bella said, trying to make conversation with me. I bet she was scared out of her wits with the way I've been staring at her ever since she picked up the spoon and starting shoving cereal in her mouth.

What to say, what to say. "Well, you're Bella. And… you're pretty smart, I guess. You suck at sports though." I said with a chuckle remembering how she did nothing but stare at me when we played badminton once in gym class.

"Mike, who are you?" She asked incredulously.

Duh, I'm Mike. "I'm…." I panicked. What was I supposed to say? I'm your friend? Would she trust me then? A classmate? Heck no.

Suddenly, without thinking straight I blurted out "I'm your boyfriend."

Holy mother of --, I did not just say that. That's it, I'm insane. It's definitely a fact.

**[End of Mike's P.O.V.]**


	21. Chapter 21

**[Edward's P.O.V.]**

How was I supposed to sit still and watch everyone cry about Bella? Cramped in a white washed room with pictures of Bella in front of you, her favourite jacket on the table, her belongings, everything reminded you of her. Traces of her scent clung to the air, enticing me, not wanting to let go. Yet, she wasn't here anymore. I know I can't just give up on her, she needed me. I couldn't keep calm knowing that her body was out there. If she was truly dead. Yet how did I really feel? Did I really accept her death? That I'm confused about. I don't think she's gone. Yet, I don't feel her anymore. I don't feel her presence, that certain knowledge that she's there, alive. I couldn't feel her anymore. Or maybe, it was I who couldn't feel.

As I sat there like a statue, taut of any emotion and eyes straight ahead, my mind began to wander on the things I might do if I couldn't find her. A cliff perhaps? Yet, we all know I'd survive the fall. I'd make Black so frustrated he'd have to rip me apart. Touch a toe to their territory, make them mad. The Volturi. The choices endless, all paths leading to her, Bella. Yet, what would Carlisle say? Esme as well? I couldn't leave them. I owe both of them all so much. For everything. Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper. What'll they think? How will they react? Guilt.

Elise. I inwardly stiffened. There was something about her I couldn't even place. Her smile, the way her dark blue eyes sometimes mirrored the way I felt. It was like she understood everything. Everything I was going through. What would she say? After all she's done. After all that William's done for Bella and I as well. What would he think of me?

All along, all this time, I've only been thinking of me. Of what I'd be without Bella. What I want to feel. Yet, what about the other people in my life? Why didn't I ever think of them? Alice'll know, I know they'll all try to stop me. And in the end, I'll be the one to hurt the most for not only did I hurt myself but also everybody I truly cared for. What a selfish bastard I'd be if I ever do what I planned.

**[End of Edward's P.O.V.]**

_A cliff……Black….. The Volturi…. The choices endless, all paths leading to her, Bella…. _

I was at the back of Edward and my brow furrowed as I heard only some of his thoughts. I had no idea why I only heard some but the moment I figured out what he was deep in thought with, I regretted it. I looked away. Jasper had told me it might happen, that even if Edward did not show that much emotion on the outside, he was pouring of it inside. Carlisle stood up and the rest of us did as well and with a quick farewell to the Swans, we were headed back to the Cullen's home. Silence was the only thing heard as I sat beside Edward as he drove going home. I didn't ever dare take a peek in his mind again, regret filling me. If ever we were to talk about it, I had no idea what to say to him. But I'd have to soon, I won't let him be the death of himself.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked me as we left the car and went inside the house.

"Nothing."

"You've been silent lately." He observed as we bounded the stairs and came to the second floor.

"Been thinking, that's all." I shrugged.

"Okay, well I'll see you later." He replied with a wave as he headed towards his room.

That was when I panicked, what if he was planning to do it now? Planning to go to La Push, planning on something else. I then did something without even thinking about it. It had to be the most cliché thing I had ever done in my life.

I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him, his back facing me.

"Please don't go." I whispered.

Hand on the doorknob, Edward looked shocked and confused all at the same time.


	22. Chapter 22

Stunned he just looked at the door, his hand still on the doorknob.

"Say something." I told him, my cheek pressed against his back.

"You—you heard?" He asked me, as he faced me. I released my grip from him, the tingling sensation in my arms still prominent.

"Only some parts, I know I'm not supposed to pry but I was—" I rambled but he cut me off.

"It's okay. I'm not angry."

"Edward, please think about it, think about your family." I pleaded. I didn't want him to do it, no one would ever want him to do it.

"Elise." He said, his face grave. He then stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms. I rested my head on his chest and hugged him too, my hands clutching his shirt.

"Think about every one of us, don't do it please."

"I'm sorry." He said. He was just giving up like that? How crude was he?

He continued, "I'm sorry I made you worry. It was such a selfish thought, I wasn't thinking straight. My emotions got the better off me." I sort of relaxed.

"So you're not…"

"No, I'm not."

"Promise me." I said, just to make sure.

He cupped my face with his hands and looked into my eyes, his amber orbs affectionate.

"I promise." He whispered.

We stared at each other, as I searched his face. He wasn't lying I could tell. His handsome face was so close from mine and whether it was just me or my imagination, it felt like he was inching closer to me. I closed my eyes waiting for something that might never even come, that I just presumed. Yet, I felt his soft breath on my lips and I was oh-so ready to lean forward to press my lips against Edward's.

"Elise? Are you there?" William called as he began going up the stairs. Edward and I quickly separated, too embarrassed to even look at each other. Whatever happened was a mistake.

"There you are. Come on, we haven't got all day. Let's go get your things." He said as he signaled me to go with him to my room.

Before I could move, Edward grabbed hold of my arm. "Wait, you're leaving?"

"Yes." I said, jerked my arm away and followed William to my room to get my suitcases. At once, I felt guilty for leaving Edward alone in the hallway with not much of a friendly goodbye.

"Boy problems?" William joked. He already had four of our bags in hand.

"Oh, shut it." I glared as I got three more and quickly exited the room. Willing myself to apologize for the way I acted a while back, only to find out Edward wasn't there waiting up for me.

"And we are here." He said as we got out from his brand new Maserati Coupe.

"Not bad." I mumbled. I opened the pristine white doors to see the cream coloured interior of the house. It was vast and it seemed that William had forgotten that it was only two who would be living in the house, not seven.

"It'd better be. After all the trouble I went through to get this beauty done." He said, patting a wall.

"Oh! You're room, you need to see it." He continued, too excited for his own good. On cue, his cellphone rang. It was Carlisle

"Go upstairs, I'll be there in a minute. He probably just misses me already." He chuckled as he handed me some of my bags. I shrugged but obliged and as I began going up the stairs I heard William say, "Carlisle, please tell me you are not at all serious." And after a quick silence I heard him cuss under his breath.


	23. Chapter 23

Edward gripped bunches of his copper hair in frustration. He cursed loudly enough for the whole household to hear, but right now, he didn't care at all. It was a lousy thing to do. Absolutely immature and unthinkable. Just when he thought he was on the right path, he had to make a mistake. Lucky him. Admitting that almost kissing Elise was a bad idea, it ruined him more thinking about how to act once they see each other again. He hated awkward conversations, especially awkward conversations when the person you're talking to can read your thoughts. Yet he couldn't help the fact that when the moment happened, just a few minutes back, he couldn't control himself from not leaning into those dark blue eyes, her porcelain face, her soft continuous breaths. A person would be mental to not lean in to it all. It wasn't that he didn't like Elise, on the contrary he did, too much for his own good to be exact, but leaning forward to it all just at most two weeks since Bella wasn't a too good idea. It was the worst idea, to be more precise. Yet, here he was caught up in the situation he wanted to relinquish out of his mind. Questions ran in his head, what would Elise think of him? Would she still talk to him? He let out a heavy sigh. It was all too much.

As if it could not get any more worse than it already was, Alice, whose room was just around the corner, came sprinting down the stairs in a wreck. She had had one of her visions and it seemed that there was a vampire coming to Forks, someone from the Volturi, blood red eyes and cropped light brown hair. It seems that Theodore Ambler was off to visit Carlisle once more and the worst part of Alice's vision, Theo just had to smile and wave as if for a video.

Edward repressed a shiver. He wasn't a big fan of Theo, with his grin and the way he walked around like he was powerful and knew it. The most unknown of all the Volturi, Theo always seemed to do the dirty work and yet it seemed he was the mastermind all at the same time. With that mischievous glint in his eye, you never knew what he was thinking or better yet, the things he knew about you. Edward had seen him twice, the first time a blur, he had forgotten their encounter but was quite sure it was just an exchange of greetings as Theo talked to Carlisle. The second however, Theo seemed too much interested in him. The way he his eyes shown the fact that he knew something that Edward didn't, teasing him sort of, as he gave a playful smirk and asked Edward how he felt after jumping down from a high rise building. Carlisle, once hearing this gave a helpless sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he couldn't help contain Theo and his reckless ways. Edward, however, gave a shrug knowing that never in his lifetime had he tried such an attempt.

He had asked some questions as well to Jasper and Rose, asking if Jasper ever got sick of how everyone was always depressed and Rose on how she should be much less of a bitch. Emmett chuckled on the last part which earned him a slap from Rosalie. All in all, Theo had no problem speaking his mind which was as entertaining as it was frustrating. Even Carlisle couldn't help suppress a grin at Theo's joyful comments on how angelic the house seemed even if we were damned here for eternity.

Yet, at present, Edward wondered from the look on Theo's face in Alice's vision. Was his visit just for a quick hello and a chat? Or was it something else, strictly business?

Locked up in his room, too tired to even move, Edward hadn't seen Carlisle's shocked expression from Alice's news and how, even paler than usual, he hurriedly called William, controlling himself from not getting all frantic for the night, two days from now, where as Theo was expected to arrive.


	24. Chapter 24

The light from the front porch illuminated Elise's face as she sat on the steps of the house waiting. William had gone to the Cullen's house and had told her to "stay where you are" and "don't leave the house". What was she? 10? He had also said that Edward would be coming over to visit in a few moments as well.

A pair of headlights flashed past Elise's face and Edward's familiar silver Volvo parked in the driveway and the engine shut off.

"Hi." He greeted as he materialized in front of her. She offered a small smile in return.

Edward sighed, knowing something was up. "What's wrong?" He said, breathing a sigh at her worried expression.

"Nothing, it's nothing." Elise said, shaking her head, trying to rid the gut feeling that something was wrong.

"Oh, come on Elise, that won't work with me." He answered, a wry grin on his face as he sat beside her, their arms accidentally brushing together. They both pretended to ignore it.

"It's William. He's been distant ever since he got that call from Carlisle the other day."

"I suppose I know what it is all about, there's a vampire stopping over tonight."

"And William told me to stay here, because?"

Edward shrugged, an amused expression on his face. "That, I have no idea on."

"Who is it, anyway?" At that, Edward didn't respond immediately.

"I think I'll be bound to find out in the long run anyway. Come on, what's there to lose?" Elise continued, being quite childish and from Edward's expression he seemed to think that too.

Edward gave another grin, "Alright, alright. I'll tell you who it is."

His expression then changed into a disgusted one. "It's Theo, Theodore Ambler."

"Oh." Elise said, not meeting his eyes.

"You know him?"

"Yes, we've met several occasions before." She said, still looking at the floor and avoiding the subject.

Edward raised a bronze eyebrow but let it pass.

"Ah! There they are." He said as he spotted Emmett and Rosalie heading their way towards them.

"You brought a car? What happened to my brother?" Emmett scolded Edward as he pointed to the Volvo.

"Nothing's happened to me. I just prefer using a car instead of running sometimes." Edward rolled his eyes as he answered.

Rosalie just looked amused as she greeted Elise with a peck on the cheek and a hug. This simple gesture though would've, if Edward had any single ounce of his blood left, made his cheeks go red in remembrance of what happened the other day. He instead just gave a cough and willed himself to forget anything of the nature.

Alice and Jasper arrived seconds later, Alice on Jasper's back, as Emmett laughed at Jasper's suffering because he ran all the way from the house to Elise's because as all of them pointed out, Carlisle kicked them out of the house for the entire night and he had almost kicked Esme out as well.

"What's so special about the guy? Why have all of us out of the house?" Jasper said once they were all settled in the entertainment room, the big flat screen television on, yet no one even cared to know what was showing.

"Maybe he might mess with our minds." Rosalie added.

"Get this, when I saw him in my vision, he actually smiled at me." Alice said, shivering slightly.

"And we're going to be here the whole night until he leaves. This is going to be a long one." Emmett said with sarcastic joy as he flipped through the channels in lightning speed.

"Yup, a long one." Edward said as he gave a quick glance at the motionless Elise, who had her eyes closed the whole time. So much for talking about what happened the other day.


	25. Chapter 25

Carlisle was seated in an antique chair peering out the window as Esme's hollow expression seemed to convey the tension in the room. Carlisle had told Esme part of the story. He had told the truth. Just not the whole truth. Esme only knew two things, that he had asked for a favour from Theo and that it concerned Edward, other than that, Esme knew nothing about Elise. It was quite obvious why Theo had planned the visit Carlisle had been dreading for years but none of these things could be stopped. He was anxious, fearing the worst possible situation and wished he was never in the predicament from the start. William however, who was famous for being unnervingly calm in the most dreadful of situations, was lying on the couch, his slender legs dangling from the side as he played with a feather he had gotten from one of the pillows in the house. Carlisle sighed which happened to be the only noise aside from the constant ticking of the clock overhead on the cream coloured wall and William's heavy blows as he tried to make the gray feather float above his face for a few seconds.

Carlisle's ears perked up the same time William grabbed the feather and seated on the right side of the couch instead of his position, that of lying down on it, a while back. Theo was here and the quick rap on the door, indicated so. Esme, jaw taut and all, went to

get the door. It swung open and Theo was there grinning.

"Esme! Good to see you!" Theo laughed as he shrugged of his coat and kissed Esme's cheek in greeting. He then continued to greet Carlisle and then William.

"Now, now, Carlisle, don't get so tense." Theo chuckled as he sat beside William.

"I'm not tense." He said as he relaxed his shoulders. William and Theo laughed. Typical of Carlisle.

"So, now that you know why I'm here, let's cut to the chase because I am in a terrible hurry right now." Theo explained. "There have been a couple of nuisances around the Arizona area and I've been humiliatingly sent all the way here just to do away with those pests. It's completely irritating."

"So, Carlisle, want to help me out with it?" He then grinned. He always did like messing with the people around him.

"You already know the answer, Theo." Carlisle said, looking grave.

"Oh hush Carlisle, all you have to do is snap some necks and you're over."

"I'm not ending their lives." He said, his decision final. Esme however looked like she was close to fainting.

"Esme, don't get ahead of yourself." William warned and Esme sent him a look that quickly subsided when she realized that even if he looked really young, he was much older than she.

"Carlisle, think of Edward." She pleaded, touching his hand but Carlisle didn't stir.

"He can take care of himself, I don't want a big mess on our hands."

"Carlisle Cullen, a modern day hero, sacrifices the sanity of his beloved son for the sake of some pitiful humans." Theo said, disgusted.

Esme still wasn't too sure of Carlisle's decision but William had given a curt nod, seeming to be on the same page as Carlisle.

"Please send Edward back home, I think Theo wants to see him." Carlisle instructed Esme, but his eyes were still locked on Theo's.

"Oh! And send Elise as well." Theo added, grinning widely. Knowing Theo, he had something up his sleeve.

"You knew about Elise?" Carlisle added, quite shocked.

"Of course, from the beginning. I just didn't tell a soul about her and look what we have now! An exciting love story." Theo said, seemingly switching personalities. "Don't you like twisted love stories, William?"

William gave two thumbs up.

"Super." He said, no sign of emotion in his voice.

"Oh c'mon Will, smile."

"Oh hush, Theo, I know what you're about to do." William said, rolling his eyes. They've known each other for decades, William knew what he was up to.

"I don't know what you're talking about, William." He said in an innocent voice but with a smirk forming on his lips.


	26. Chapter 26

"You called?" Edward asked, bursting in the house, holding Elise's hand. Yet as soon as Elise noticed that Theo was there, she quickly released Edward's hand. William groaned in frustration, not again.

Theo smirked, "Aw, Elise. You've traded me for some…boy?"

Edward raised his brow as he gave a side glance at Elise. If she could blush, Elise would've turned 3 different colours of red by now.

"I used to like him a bit." She mumbled to Edward as his questioning look turned to shock.

_I know, I know. Stop rubbing it in._

_Him?!?_

Elise gave him an exasperated look and then glared at William as he muttered the words, "More like a full blown infatuation."

Elise couldn't help it if she had been, note the past tense, attracted to Theo. It just seemed that the vampire knew her more about her than she knew herself, like he knew something about herself that she didn't. Nevertheless, it was all in the past.

"So, Elise, how have you been?" Theo asked, a small smile playing on his lips as he scooted nearer to William and patted the empty space beside him. Edward grabbed hold of Elise wrist before she could even move a muscle, his golden eyes were hard.

"What do you want Theo?" He spat.

"Nothing Edward, you're being too feisty for my taste all of a sudden." Theo answered, airily. Edward's grip on Elise only tightened. _If he ever dares to touch you…._

_Edward, calm down. _Elise reminded yet again but Edward still had his hold on her and still had his eyes locked on Theo's blood red ones.

The moment was then interrupted by Theo answering his phone.

"Hello?"

"Yes, I'll be there in an hour."

"Of course."

"I don't think he's going to break any time soon though." He said, flickering his gaze unto Carlisle who was as hard as a rock.

"Okay, I'll be there. Goodbye."

"Well, kids, it seems I'm needed. Carlisle, last call. Don't fail me now." Theo said, lifting his eyebrows as he stared at Carlisle. Edward and Elise looked around puzzled.

Carlisle adjusted his weight but his gaze was still stern. "I've had enough of your games Theo."

Theo chuckled, "You really think that everything's going to be fine, don't you Carlisle? A happy ending to a tragic love story. But trust me, it's not called a tragic love story for nothing."

No one moved, nor spoke a word after that. It was just the ticking of the overhead clock once again.

"Well, I'll be off. It was nice meeting all of you again." Theo said as he jumped to his feet and headed out the door before anyone could react.

"Goodbye Elise." He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek in a swift movement. Edward tried pulling her back but he was a nanosecond too late.

Theo only chuckled at Edward's reaction.

"Quite protective aren't we, Edward?" He said as he swung the front door open and went out into the chilly night.

Theo spun around, "Oh and I almost forgot, Edward?"

Edward didn't want to, but he looked Theo in the eye and asked, "Yes?"

"Nighty-night." He waved, wiggling his fingers.

And with that, Edward fell to the floor, in a mess, his body shaking as his pupils dilated and he let out a scream of agony as memories, every one of them came surging into him.

Elise came to his side as she shook him, tried to keep him from shaking like an epileptic. Good, bad, everything, it came coming to him full force.

She begged the others for help, but they just stared, their faces hard, except for Esme who had turned her head away but was in place because of Carlisle's hand on hers. William shook his head telling her to stop touching him, telling her to calm down. She didn't want to calm down.

"Help him! Please help him!" Elise screamed at William, anger contorted on her face, why are they letting him be.

"He's going to be fine." Carlisle told Elise but she wasn't convinced. She wanted to know what was happening, what was making him suffer, she decided to find out by herself so she closed her eyes and peered into his mind.

Carlisle told her to stop but she didn't listen. Flashes of events soared past her in his mind. His parents smiling faces, Edward at a young age, playing with some other boys, everything. All broken and distorted but it was still there, piecing up a story of Edward's past that even Edward himself didn't know of. And before Carlisle had broken the connection between Elise's mind and Edward's. Elise saw a memory that she thought never existed, Edward's happy, joyous face as he laughed at some girl, her face not seen in the memory yet the way he laughed, the way his eyes showed so much emotion, it was love.

Carlisle pulled her away just in time for all the chaos to stop. His body stopped convulsing and Edward's pale ivory face glistened with a blanket of sweat and his eyes were tight shut, as he was too weak for anything at the moment. Physically and even emotionally.

Outside, Theo laughed at how ironic everything could be.


	27. Chapter 27

Edward came to his senses on the third night after his breakdown. Caught up in all the memories, the thoughts, he had not been aware of what was happening around him until that night.

Edward creased his brow as he opened his weary eyes, only to find darkness all over except for the dim light given overhead by the moon. He was about to sit up when he caught sight of a figure laying beside him on his bed. He then turned to the side and brushed raven hair out of the girl's face as he peered meticulously at her, wondering if the girl was who he thought she was. His emotions were already ahead of him when he saw those dark blue orbs stare at him with surprise and those pale thin lips spread into a smile. It was her, it was his Elise. Elise Black.

Without a moment's hesitation, he bent his head down and kissed her full on the lips, his mouth searching hers as he kissed her with longing passion. She seemed shocked by this greeting but leaned in closer as he slid their bodies nearer to each other.

"Elise." He moaned, his lips still on hers. Edward couldn't believe she was there, beside him. He kissed her again and stroked her cheek.

"Please tell me you're real." He whispered in her ear as he pressed her cheek next to his. She shivered in his touch. "I'm as real as you can get, Edward."

He wrapped his arms around her so tight it seemed like he thought she was going to disappear out of thin air.

"Don't go." He pleaded more to himself than her.

Elise was still in Edward's tight embrace at the moment. His breathing more relaxed than it had ever been since the past few days and he was tracing circles on her back as his eyes were closed serenely. Yet, in Elise's case, anything was more serene than what she was feeling. Why she had let Edward kiss her like that was beyond her knowledge and the fact that the way Edward looked at her, stroked her cheek and said her name. It seemed like he was talking to someone else. Someone that wasn't Elise Schulyer.

"I love you." He whispered to her, his breath tickling her skin. Elise froze. She didn't love him back, it was all a mistake. The kiss, everything.

"Elise." He said as he pressed himself closer to her. "I love you." He repeated.

Elise opened her mouth to say something, anything at all but nothing came out.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on as Carlisle came into the room, William right behind him.

"I knew she came up here." Carlisle said to William as he saw Elise beside Edward.

"Edward, up, now." William commanded and Edward sat up obediently and turned around to face Elise with a grin on his face which slowly drained into a look of confusion.

"Schulyer?" He said, his forehead creased in confusion.

William then motioned to Elise, "Come, let's leave those two alone for a while."

Elise slipped on her shoes and before Edward could get hold of her, she had already gone out the door with William, leaving Carlisle and Edward alone. Carlisle closed the door behind him and sat down on the edge of Edward's bed.

"It makes every bit of sense now Carlisle! Every bit of it! Her missing grave! The way I felt that she was still there, that she wasn't gone. Everything Carlisle! When I opened my eyes, and saw her, I just knew that whatever Theo had done, it had lead me back to her and all those painful memories, it doesn't mean anything now, doesn't it? Now that she's here." Edward rambled, feeling so light headed and elated, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"And I missed her so much, Carlisle. I missed her so much, I kissed her and I swear, I love her, I absolutely love her." Edward said grinning uncontrollably. Old emotions flowing back into his system with a new found glory.

"And it had been Schulyer all along! Who would have known? They had the same laugh, of course. Why hadn't I noticed? Sweet, melodic, and so beautiful, she's absolutely stunning, don't you agree, Carlisle?" Edward said enthusiastically and was so cheerful but when he looked at Carlisle, he was muddled.

"That's good, Edward. I'm happy for you, really." Carlisle said gravely. "But you aren't the only who lost their memory—"

"No." Edward said, his face full of pain, fearing the worst.

"Elise remembers nothing."

"No!" Edward repeated burying his face in his hands. Just when he thought that he had found her and she'd found him. Once again, it was all false hope.

Everything seemed like it was all false hope.


	28. Chapter 28

"So, what did Edward tell you?" William said as soon as they were seated at the front steps of the Cullen household.

Elise hesitated and William rolled his eyes.

"Elise." He warned.

"Okay, just relax. It's like you're treating me like a teenager."

"You are a teenager." William stated, making Elise roll her eyes at him.

She ignored him and answered his question, "Well, he kissed me and told me he loved me."

"And you?"

"I didn't say anything to him. I don't love him." Elise said avoiding the first question and even William knew it.

He smirked, "Stop-"

"I kissed him back, okay? God, isn't it obvious." Elise hissed at the amusement on William's face.

"Hush, I knew you liked him the first time you argued upstairs."

"Oh, get off my case will you? I don't like him."

"Why did you kiss the boy then?"

"Spur of the moment."

William snorted and mimicked Elise by repeating, "Spur of the moment."

Elise just ignored him.

"Oh Elise, stop lying and tell me the truth."

"I like him, but not in that way, William." She stated truthfully. "The kiss was a mistake."

"Yes, well, I haven't explained to you everything as well, you see, Theo erased Edward's memories because he has had a painful past, to say the least. Carlisle's talking to Edward at the moment, explaining some details. Don't worry about whatever he said, he was being delusional or something of the sort" William explained.

"No worries. He'll apologize later on. That is, if he can look you straight in the face after that incident." He added with a chuckle.

"So, what do I do to make her remember again?" Edward asked Carlisle hopefully.

"That I have no inkling, maybe a significant memory." Carlisle suggested with a shrug.

"Aren't I significant enough?" Edward mumbled bitterly. "But I just know she remembers me. When she kissed me, it was like she knew."

"I know it's hard for you Edward but as much as I want her to get her memory back as well, you know you shouldn't push her too hard."

"Yes, I get it. Why is it so hard to get a happy ending, Carlisle?" Edward said, half- jokingly.

"Oh you'll get your happy ending. Just be a little more patient." Carlisle said, smiling as he pushed Edward out the door. "Now go apologize to Elise before she worries too much."

"Hey." Edward greeted with a grin as he stepped out into the cold autumn night.

"Hi." Elise said, looking up to him.

"Well, I'm here to apologize about a while back." Edward explained. "I just thought you were someone else."

"Is she the girl in your memories?" Elise asked timidly. Edward froze. She knew?

"I accidentally saw her, but only her back though. You were laughing at something she said. You were happy." Elise explained.

Edward raked his fingers through his copper hair and sighed, "Yes, that was her."

"Well she seems like a nice person." Elise commented and Edward only smiled.

If she only knew who she was talking about.


	29. Chapter 29

"I've jumped off cliffs for her, I'm not giving up yet." Edward seethed, his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned back on his chair.

"And that makes you somewhat proud, Edward?" Carlisle inquired. Edward looked to the floor with a shake of his head.

"I don't want to lose her again." He sighed.

"I never said you were going to." Carlisle replied patiently on the seat in front of him.

"I was just trying to make it clear." Edward said, dismissively.

The Cullens were having a meeting of sorts, letting everyone in the family know about the current situation and Edward was less than willing to share his so called "feelings" to the rest of the household.

"Chill, Edward." Jasper said and Edward felt a little calmer than he was before.

"I'm trying my best to 'chill' Jasper." Edward said sarcastically.

Emmett however chuckled and announced, "Edward's getting quite territorial about Elise, isn't he?"

"Oh, put a sock in it." Edward grumbled as the others laughed at Emmett's comment.

"Don't worry Edward, we'll help you get her memory back and as I told Elise before, you guys make a good match." Alice said, smiling. With that comment, Edward couldn't look at Alice in embarrassment.

"Sure, we'll help, man. I mean, I love Elise. She'd be a good addition to our family." Emmett shrugged.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself." Rosalie replied, curtly. "Besides, we have no idea how we're getting her memory back."

"How about Theo? Can't he do anything?" Esme asked Carlisle.

He shrugged in response. "I don't think Theo has anything to do with her lost memories. Anyway, if he could be of some help, I don't think he'd do it. He seems to be awaiting a tragic ending."

Edward clenched his fist; Theo had to be the most incredulous, selfish bastard ever known to history, only thinking about himself and how much entertainment he got as he meddled with the lives of others.

"I need to jog her memory. Make her remember." Edward whispered more to himself than to the others.

"Take her out. She'd enjoy that." Esme suggested.

"It isn't enough." Edward said, shaking his head. "Plus, I don't think she'll ever feel the same way I do. She only likes me as a friend, just a friend. Do you know how insane that's making me?!"

"Calm down." Jasper reminded Edward once again, rolling his eyes. Edward shut his mouth as Emmett smirked and opened his to make a sarcastic comment once more. Rosalie however stopped him by digging her nails into his arm.

"Don't you even dare, Emmett." She snapped. All he did in response was grin.

Edward just stared out the window as flakes of snow fell lightly to the already white ground. The others were still talking about Elise but he was too engrossed in his thoughts to even listen to their conversation. It was nearing Christmas already and most often, when it was that time of the year, they'd be off to a real vacation, a trip for the holidays. All of a sudden, Edward knew exactly where to go this year.

"Chicago." He said out loud.

Everybody stopped talking and stared at him.

"What?" Alice asked, confused.

"Chicago!" Edward stated, even louder as he jumped to his feet, a grin spreading on his face.

"Edward with this much enthusiasm and emotion is scaring me more than I'd ever dreamt of." Emmett grimaced. Edward sent him a glare but ignored him.

"We could go to Chicago. I'd show her around, everything. She'd remember, I'm sure of it." Edward explained to Carlisle.

"It could work. I'll call William." Carlisle said, standing up to get the phone but before he could dial the house number, William was tapping on the large window in the room with a really big smile on his face.

"Why is everyone in such a joyful mood?" Emmett groaned. Alice gave him a look of exasperation but didn't comment.

William then entered the house, Elise beside him.

"Hello, everyone!" He greeted as Elise just waved and sent a smile at Edward.

Rosalie smirked as she saw Elise's greeting, _'Just friends', my butt._

Edward ignored the comment and waved at her. Alice face immediately lit up when she saw Elise and practically dragged her to sit beside Edward. Tactless, was the word stuck in Edward's mind the whole time.

_Trust me, Edward. I can see the future. _Alice said in her mind, a smirk forming on her lips, knowing Edward could hear her thoughts at the moment. Edward just grimaced in response.


	30. Chapter 30

"I'm worried about Edward." Carlisle said to William. Both of them were alone outside as the others were chatting inside the Cullen's house.

William began making snowballs in sheer boredom, "Why so? The child seems perfectly fine from what I see." Child? Carlisle almost snorted at William's choice of words.

"Yes, quite why I'm worried. You and Elise decide to come here and after that, he loses Bella and then Theo comes making him regain his memories, all in a short period of time."

"He's coping. Look at him. He's laughing with them, talking. Of course he's still hurting inside after what happened to Bella, as well as the burden he carries around because of his memories but he's strong. He'll make it through." He replied confidently as he threw a snowball at Carlisle forehead.

"William." Carlisle warned, used to the childish antics his friend usually did. William just stuck out his tongue in response.

"Oh, and Edward, he's suggesting that we all go to Chicago for the holidays."

Raising a dark brow, William asked, "Any hidden agenda?"

Carlisle shrugged, "Edward's ever so persistent that Elise might remember once in Chicago."

William shook his head, "Doubt it."

"But well worth a shot, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Count us in, since the plan won't even work without our presence there." William chuckled.

"Right, well let's get inside." Carlisle said, a curious tone in his voice. William cocked an eyebrow but headed towards the house but before he could open the door he was bombarded with at least half a dozen snowball hits to his head. He simply groaned and entered the house, his raven hair dripping with snow.

The younger ones looked up at the sound of his entrance and with all their attention directed to him, William smiled and announced, "And we're off to Chicago!"

"Edward just may be the right man for me." William continued, "This is just what we need; a vacation."

"Don't you think so Elise?" He asked her.

Elise, surprised by the sudden news and all, replied, "Right, sure, Chicago."

"It's fine if you aren't up to it." Edward said, fearing Elise wasn't too keen on the idea. "We could just stay here for the holidays if that's what you want."

"No, no, it's fine." She replied with a smile.

"It's all settled then, Chicago it is." Esme announced with a clap of her hands, excitement was definitely in the air this time.

"Come along Edward, let's get everything sorted out." William said, beckoning Edward to follow Carlisle and him up the stairs.

Edward, knowing they wanted to talk to him, nodded and followed them.

"Now Edward, how has your third day been without the blinds on your eyes?" William asked as he flopped down on the sofa in Carlisle's office.

"The same, quite normal, except for the urge to-" Edward stopped short. He would've been blushing at the point if he had a single ounce of blood in him.

"Kiss her, hold her in your arms. 'Oh! Elise!', 'Oh! Edward!!!!'" William said, over dramatically, emphasizing the last part by squealing it in a high-pitched voice.

Edward's jaw clenched and Carlisle rolled his eyes.

"He's even more energetic today than ever before." Edward commented with a shake of his head.

"Trust me, this isn't the worst of it all." Carlisle replied.

"It's the holidays, it's the snow, it's making me all giddy." William said, a big bright smile on his face.

Edward cringed, "Are you gay?"

"Anyway, not the point here. We want to tell you the other side of the story." Carlisle said, trying to put a stop to the useless banter.

"Elise's side." William stated, serious this time. How the vampire had a dual personality problem was beyond anyone.


	31. Chapter 31

"Once you had passed away, Elise was greatly troubled. Very troubled that she supposedly jumped off a cliff for you. It was a very rash and childish decision on her part. Yet, when she fell down, I was coincidentally there and since she had been terribly young and her life had been short, I decided, on my better judgment, to change her. Because of this, she was in much distress and went to change you so you'd be together. Quite shallow but you do reckless things when you're in love." William explained with a shrug.

"But wasn't I supposedly dead?" Edward questioned.

"Yes, well she did want to try to change the dead. No one has ever done so before, especially not a newborn. It's a good thing that one, you were not in the coffin at that time and two, before she could even get to the coffin, she had fainted."

"Fainted? Can vampires even faint?"

"Well she did, traumatic stress maybe, we aren't really sure why and how she could've fainted. Our kind has been trying to figure out how we came to be, our characteristics, everything over millennia. Yet, still our abilities, what we are capable of, what we are not, are still a mystery until now. I have naught seen any of us faint, up until Elise fell into my arms."

Edward shook his head in disappointment, "Throwing yourself off a cliff isn't the best solution."

Carlisle snorted and gave Edward a stern look, "Neither is wallowing in despair and jumping in front of a train."

Edward looked to the floor in shame at the same time as William's eyebrow quirked up.

"What?" He asked.

"Edward and Elise are perfect for each other. They're more alike than you could ever think of. Childish, stubborn, always making rash decisions, special in the head… the list continues." Carlisle said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I am not special in the head!" Edward retorted. Once again, the conversation was taking a childish turn.

"Of course you aren't." William and Carlisle replied at the same time. Edward pretended not to take notice of the tone in their voices.

"Elise, as well as Edward, loves making childish, irrational decisions without thinking first." Carlisle snorted.

"Oh? In what way?" William questioned, quite curious indeed.

"He jumped in front a train thrice, threw himself off a dozen cliffs and other things I don't even want to mention." Carlisle explained. Edward looked out the window of the office, a hand to his head; no one ever liked remembering past mistakes.

"Oh? Childish, rash, everything. Let me guess, Elise's doing?" William inquired.

"Elise had nothing to do with it, it was my choice." Edward hissed. He didn't like William blaming Elise for the things that he had done.

"Yes, yes, of course."

"Well I couldn't let him try to commit suicide every attempt he could. That's why I needed Theo's assistance." Carlisle said. The mere mention of his name made Edward clench his fist.

"Well then, Edward, we'll settle everything. You could go down again." Carlisle said, dismissing Edward. Edward nodded and stood up to go out of the room until William realized he had something to tell Edward.

"Edward, wait. There's been something I've been meaning to tell you." William said standing up as well.

Edward looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Although it may seem impossible, I think Elise can regain her memories."

"How sure are you?" Carlisle asked, suddenly part of the conversation.

"Once, when we were in bed-" William stopped at Edward's stony expression.

"For the love of god, Edward. Do you have to see every fault in my words? We were in separate beds, yet it was at night, we were resting in our beds. Yes, in the same room but in SEPARATE beds." William explained yet Edward didn't look all that pleased.

"We were RESTING, Edward. She's supposedly my niece. William Schulyer, Elise Schulyer. Her mother died during childbirth and her father died in a car crash. I'm her uncle, not her beau."

Carlisle rolled his eyes, "Edward, you're making a big thing out of nothing so stop it with your glare. William, stop trying to explain yourself to the teen, it will not help his jealousy."

"I am not jealous!" Edward half-shouted. The expressions on the men's faces clearly stated that they did not believe a single word he had said.

"Anyway, she said your name, or something of the sort that sounded like it, but I'm quite sure it was your name. Then, I asked her what she had said and all she did was look at me like I was insane because she couldn't remember a thing."

"Strange." Carlisle commented as he and Edward exchanged confused expressions.


	32. Chapter 32

"Chicago, wow. All this in such a sudden notice." Elise commented. They were in the living room and Edward was upstairs with Carlisle and William, somehow they could hear patches of the conversation when Edward raised his voice, and in all honesty it didn't seem like they were talking about a vacation.

Rosalie grinned. "Chicago's perfect. I haven't actually been there yet, all around the world and never in Chicago."

Jasper grinned as well and announced, "White Sox." As he gave Emmett a high-five.

Esme smiled at all the good comments and the excited faces although when she looked at Alice, she was troubled for the girl seemed to be deep in her thoughts.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Rosalie asked sensing the lack of excitement in Alice as well.

Alice peered at her behind her long lashes. "Nothing really, just thinking." Then, all of a sudden turned to Elise and asked, "Do you like Edward?"

Elise looked staggered by the question as the others looked at her expectantly for an answer. She managed to blurt out a "Yes, why not?"

"I didn't mean it that way."

Elise looked embarrassed with the way everyone was watching her, she opened her mouth then closed it.

"For heaven's sake Alice, you're putting Elise in the spot. Look at her she's terrified." Esme announced putting a stop to the interrogation.

Alice only shrugged and said, "I just wanted to know."

"Elise, are you confused?" Rosalie questioned as she touched Elise's hand in a sisterly manner.

"About?"

"About Edward."

Elise glanced at Jasper and Emmett; it was very awkward knowing they were there listening to every word when the girls were suddenly asking these incredulous questions.

"Out." Rosalie commanded.

"But Rose…" Emmett compromised with a pout. Jasper, however, left the room and went inside the kitchen immediately.

"Be like Jasper, he's a good boy." Rosalie said and Emmett grudgingly complied. From the kitchen, Jasper stuck his tongue childishly at Emmett, "She got you good man."

Emmett pushed him, annoyed. "Shut it."

If Elise were in any part alive, she would've blushed different shades of red by now, she was embarrassed with the questions and somehow didn't know how to answer any of them.

"So are you?"

Elise sighed and said truthfully, "Quite."

"I knew it." Rosalie replied. "Don't worry we'll help you win him over."

"What? I- I don't like him that way."

"Elise, you have to be straight. Do you like Edward in that way or not?" Alice inquired.

Elise looked to the ground, thinking about Edward, about the sudden jolts whenever his skin accidentally grazed against hers, how his lips felt like velvet when he kissed her, how much his smile, his laugh was so infectious, how even if they didn't like each other the first time they met, it quickly changed when she knew him better.

"I do like him." She mumbled. She had finally admitted it to herself as well.

Rosalie and Alice exchanged knowing smiles.

Edward went down the stairs, this time by himself, leaving both William and Carlisle upstairs. When he emerged in the room, Rosalie discreetly nudged both Alice and Elise.

Edward went over to Elise and smiled at her. Finally admitting to herself how she felt about Edward she looked at him quite flustered.

"Elise?" He asked, rocking back and forth on his heels as if he was thinking of something.

"Yes?"

"Could you do me a favour?" He leaned closer.

"Uh, sure."

"Could you close your eyes and say-" But before he could continue William was already behind him and he whacked him from behind his head.

"Are you deranged?" He scolded Edward. Edward groaned in pain and at the fact that he had been caught.

"I just wanted-"

"A reenactment?" He interrupted, he was getting quite furious. He turned to the others, managed a smile and said, "Excuse us for a while."

He then dragged Edward into the kitchen to talk, only to see that Emmett and Jasper were seated on the kitchen counter.

"Let me guess, you're kicking us out." Emmett asked when he saw the look on William's face.

"You guessed right."

Emmett then rolled his eyes, hopped off the counter and decided to just go to his room where no one could kick him out, Jasper decided to tag along, having nothing to do.

"What's wrong with you?" William hissed.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking right. I just thought that if she did it again, she'd remember herself doing it." Explained Edward.

"Edward, you can try to make her remember but don't force her into remembering, it would only make this harder." William replied as he grasped Edward's shoulder.

Edward could only sigh in defeat.


	33. Chapter 33

One by one, the people inside the sleek black town cars began to get out. Jasper was the first one to hop out, stretching his arms over his head and announcing, "Chicago, we have arrived."

Rosalie, who went out of the other car, scoffed, "You've been saying that ever since we landed in the airport."

"Now, now Rose. Calm down." Emmett reminded as he rubbed her arms and turned to Elise, "She hates riding on jets."

Edward hopped out of the car beside Elise, taking off the headphones he was wearing and placing them around his neck as he looked at the new surroundings; seeming fairly impressed he shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to enter the building.

Elise only smiled as all of them went inside the classy lobby of the hotel they were staying at. Bellhops immediately unloaded their numerous bags without a slight hesitation and smiles were everywhere, you didn't have to be like Edward and Elise to figure out they wanted cash.

"Hello, I've booked five rooms last night. It's under the name Cullen." Carlisle said to the receptionist, Esme and William beside him. Like obedient children, the others were seated on the expensive leather waiting chairs in the vast lobby.

The woman behind the counter looked stunned for a while and stammered out, "Su-sure. Please hold on a minute…. Let me check your rooms." She then started to type something on her laptop as she spoke some more to Carlisle and the others.

"Do you think they'd let us go out tonight?" Alice wondered out loud.

"Or what? Let us get cooped up in our rooms, not being able to sleep?" Emmett interjected followed with a snort. "Not a chance."

"There might be territories here in Chicago, that's why I want to be careful." Alice replied. "It's a vacation, I don't want to end up angering some blood lust driven vampire because I hunted in his land."

"We just fed before we left, we're only here for a week, Alice, stop worrying." Rosalie sent her a smile.

"I try my best." She murmured.

The older ones made their way to them, hotel key cards in their hands.

"Unfortunately," Carlisle stated. "How much we try to convince them to give us a suite, they couldn't do anything since all of them have been booked."

"Therefore," William continued with a smirk. "Since there will be two per each room, someone will have to be lonely."

Esme then started distributing the hotel key cards. One for Rosalie and Emmett, one for Alice and Jasper, one for Carlisle and herself, the three remaining people stood restless.

"I can stay by myself." Elise volunteered.

"No." William, Edward and Carlisle shot at the same time. She inwardly groaned on how they were all against her.

"Fine, I'll-" Edward stopped himself however and mumbled, "I change my mind."

"So immature." William sighed, taking both the cards from Esme and handing one to Edward, the other he pocketed.

"Take care of her, Edward." He gave his ultimatum. Edward nodded gravely.

He then sent a smile over to Elise, _I guess you're stuck with me for the whole week, Schuyler._

_Complete and utter joy, Cullen._ She retorted back in a sarcastic tone yet had a small smile on her face. Edward only grinned some more in response as they all made their way to the elevator.

Unsettling silence.

Both Edward and Elise were lying on the humungous bed looking at nothing but the ceiling, they have been in that position for at least an hour when they both entered the room to find out that there was only one bed for the two of them. Edward was inwardly relieved for a moment that neither of them could sleep since if it were the case; it would've been even more awkward.

_What are you thinking about?_ Elise asked Edward all of a sudden.

_Why not just look?_ He told her while in that special connection they had.

She shook her head, not wanting to invade his personal thoughts, _I'd rather not. _

_Nothing important really. Wondering what we could do in Chicago._

_We could play in the snow, not that there wasn't any back at Forks._ She suggested. He let out a small chuckle at her childish comment, thinking it was cute.

_Other than that, I was thinking of visiting the place where I was born, where I lived._

_Me too. Sadly, I just don't remember much about it. _She furrowed her eyebrows as he leaned sideways looking at her; she looked back at his golden eyes, their faces only inches apart.

_Would- would you like to go with me? When I go to my parent's grave? _He asked her, looking nervously as he waited for her answer

_Sure. _She replied without a moment's hesitation. _Of course._

_Thank you, Elise. _He said with a smile grazing his pale thin lips. She only smiled back in return as he grabbed hold of her hand.


	34. Chapter 34

The frigid winter air blew through their hair, leaving trickles of glistening snow caught in Edward's fierce red hair and Elise's long ebony hair. In the bright moonlight and the dim streetlights, Edward seemed to faintly glow in Elise's eyes. He gave her a small smile when he saw her looking as he quickly but hesitantly reached out to brush a few stray strands of her raven hair out of her face. She couldn't help but lean in closer as he wrapped his arms around her in the middle of the secluded park.

They were aimlessly walking that night, the others not in sight. They decided to take a walk after a few hours of lying in the bed whispering words and watching the sun go down. After it had dimmed, they began to walk through the streets in curiosity of what the city looked like. They had stopped in a park and seated on the bench, Edward pulled Elise closer to both their embarrassment. Somehow, even through the silence they felt that sort of connection pulling them together.

Edward peered through his long lashes, now covered with particles of snow, "It's getting colder by the minute, Elise. It's snowing harder as well. We should probably head back."

She only nodded her head, even as the wind started to blow harder and the snowfall heavier, she couldn't help but think that even through the chaos, at that moment she couldn't help but feel calm and collected with Edward beside her.

Edward's mind seemed to wander while they were heading back to the hotel, wondering whether his plans would work, whether or not Elise would regain her memory back and remember him. He ran his long pale fingers in his hair absent-mindedly.

Is something wrong?" Elise asked as her fingertips brushed his arm. Edward almost jumped in response, too immersed in his thoughts.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking." He replied, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes for a second.

Elise smiled knowingly, "I usually do that too. Most of the time, at night, I just let myself sink in my thoughts and I just somehow lose myself." She gave out a musical laugh. "William told me I say the craziest things when I do that. Yet, I don't remember anything at all when I jump back into reality."

Edward's ears perked up at her statement remembering what William had said the other day in Forks. "Do you remember what you think about?"

"Some I do, yet some I don't. Sometimes, I suddenly remember things when I was still alive, things about my family yet when I open my eyes, the memories seem to fade away again."

When they arrived at the hotel, both Edward and Elise went to the café in the building, only to be greeted by the rest of the group.

"There they are. We tried calling your room, no one was there." Esme announced, as she took a sip of coffee.

"We went for a quick stroll." Edward replied shrugging off the jacket he was wearing as he took a seat on a burgundy sofa, Elise slid next to him.

"In that weather?" Jasper gave a laugh.

"Yes, well, we didn't expect it to be that bad." Elise looked around. "Where's William?"

"With Carlisle." Rosalie announced just as the two entered the place, talking to each other.

"We're going around the city tomorrow, the weather forecast was cloudy so it wouldn't be a problem." Carlisle took a seat beside Esme. "Besides, we wouldn't be able to see the city the next few days after. There's supposedly a snowstorm coming."

"Great timing, indeed." William commented as he shook his head. "Thanks a million, Edward."

Edward gave him a look, "Why are you blaming me for the weather?"

Emmett laughed along with William, getting his incredulous joke. "Everyone knows you have the best luck, Edward."

"Huh." Edward answered, not at all impressed with the joke. "I'm going upstairs."

Elise stood up as well when Edward did, "I'll go with you."

"Right. We'll see you in the morning." Edward said, grabbing his jacket from the armrest of the sofa.

"5 am, and not a moment later." Alice announced as the couple nodded their heads, heading back to the room once again.

The moonlight was the only light in the room and Edward stared at the floor as Elise lay beside him. Her eyes were closed peacefully and her breathing steady, it was at least 2 am at the moment and whatever Edward did, he could not close his eyes and rest without shifting about uncomfortably every five minutes. He was waiting actually, whether it would come or not, for Elise to at least murmur something from the past. He didn't want to get his hopes up yet neither did he want to push her into doing anything she did not want to.

Edward thought of ways on how he could make his plan work or in any case whether his plan would fail, nothing was as sure as it looked like. His hand clenched against the pillow under his head, as he wondered why he couldn't just tell Elise who she was in the past, share his memories to her and let her believe, she'd believe him, of course she would. Yet, it couldn't be as simple as that, life had to be even more complicated and Edward didn't want to lose Elise the same way he had lost Bella, by making the same mistakes.

"Masen." She whispered airily. If he hadn't been alert at that moment, he wouldn't have caught the word that escaped her lips. Edward stared at her curiously, a small smile adorning his face; there was some hope after all.


	35. Chapter 35

"Who would want to go to Lake Michigan on a freezing winter's day? I'd rather let's go shopping." Were the exact words of Rosalie Hale when told that it was their last destination for the day. The members of the family only blinked at the comment and Alice had given a shrug agreeing to what Rosalie said. Carlisle had surrendered too, saying he had some things to work on in the hotel. The others followed suit as the group dispersed, going their separate ways. William gave one look at the only couple left and quickly went towards Jasper and Emmett even if he knew he wouldn't understand a thing that they would be talking about.

"Get my keys." Jasper had said, tossing Edward the car keys and giving a wink. "If you really insist on going to that frozen lake, better take the car."

Jasper had insisted on shipping his Porsche to Chicago. Apparently, if there was an emergency, he didn't plan on taking a taxi nor did he want to steal someone else's crappy car.

"See you, bro." Emmett called out with a nod of his head as he and the others crossed the street to get a taxi.

Edward tossed a pebble into the frozen lake, watching it as it punctured the ice and began to sink deep into the water. Around him, patches of dirty snow covered the sandy beach area, a few feet from him Elise was sitting on a trunk of wood lying around, staring far into the horizon. They hadn't spoken since this morning. In the car neither of them spoke a word and as much as Edward wanted to strike conversation, Elise seemed too obsessed in what she was thinking that it seemed that his futile attempts would remain useless.

He sat down beside her with a sigh and she seemed to acknowledge his presence when she gave him a smile and said, "Isn't it gorgeous?"

He grinned back at her with a slight nod of his head, there were only a few people in the area and most were families who brought their kids along. One kid skittered away from the group and ended up to the spot where Elise and Edward were sitting. He was in a small jumper with a bear on it, he wore green beanie and beneath it, sandy blonde hair was peeking out, he sent a grin their way, his light blue eyes twinkling, as he was started playing with the pebbles, the young boy slipped to his knees and with a giggle, Elise stood up as she carried the 3 year old in her arms, dusting off his denims.

"Where's your mom?" She asked in a sweet voice and Edward stood up as well, coming up behind Elise.

"There!" The little boy exclaimed exuberantly, his chubby cheeks red from the cold and Elise could only smile wider as she led the boy in the direction that he pointed. Trudging along, Edward gave an admiring glance at Elise as she continued to talk to the boy.

"Tom! Tommy!" A woman called when Elise came into their view. "There you are? What did I say about leaving?"

"Stay put!" The boy giggled, repeating the words his mother had said a while back. She only sighed, helpless, as Elise put him down.

"Thank you so much." His mother said as Tommy went over to play with a girl who looked around 7.

Elise smiled, "No worries, you have a beautiful son, by the way." As though the woman only noticed Elise's stunning features now, she looked at her in awe and her gaze fell upon Edward who was beside Elise at the moment and who daringly took hold of her hand.

"Oh, are both of you here for your honeymoon?" She asked, excitement filling her voice as Elise looked at her in horror; Edward had the same pained expression.

He cleared his throat and managed to say, "Not really, no."

"Oh, well it's nice to see young couples up here sometimes, not much people visit often anymore." She said with a shake of her head, out of pity. "We just stop by every week when we visit my husband."

"Excuse me?" Edward asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"In the nearby cemetery, he died last year." She replied, sadness etched in her voice.

Elise' eyes smothered hers as she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." She said, recovering as she waved her hand in the air.

Edward, however, was less interested in the widow's dead husband. "Is it near here?" He asked.

She furrowed her eyebrows at his questioned but nodded her head, "Yes, just a few minutes away by car."

A spark of light hit Edward's eyes and he gave a ghost of a smile.

_The woman just told us about her dead husband and all you could think of was the graveyard? Are you mental? _Elise scolded him through her thoughts, aghast at his sudden question.

_You should be thanking me. _He replied as he tried his best to chat idly with the lady some more.

_Oh?_

_It seems we're going to have a stop over, after all. _He explained briefly as he gave her a genuine smile and squeezed her hand.


	36. Chapter 36

Edward put a hand to his head, you should be thanking me? What kind of statement was that? Elise knew that he'd been waiting to go to his parents' grave, nothing else, she had no idea that her father was there too and that both their graves were there. Yet, he almost slipped with that stupid sentence. Now she was confused at the real reason they were going there. What if she suddenly backed out at the last minute, seeming something was wrong? What would her reaction be? Would she even remember the place, how it had been when she visited, countless years ago?

Edward hadn't noticed he was gripping the wheel of the car too hard if it wasn't Elise's light touch that hitched his breath, made him realize how stiff he was becoming and how fast he had been driving.

"Are you alright, Edward? Are you sure you want to go?" She asked, cautiously. He gave her a sidelong glance and nodded his head slowly, thinking how he was nervous for different reasons.

"I'm fine, really." He stated, more of reassuring himself than her as he gave a forced smile, showing off a perfect set of teeth.

He turned off the engine and sucked in a big gulp of air before opening the car door and looking at the graveyard before them. It was unlike what he remembered at all, the sloping hill in the left, gone, the old high metal gate gone and replaced with a white one yet even if it didn't seem familiar at first glance, the more you looked at it, the more the nostalgia hit you in the gut and at that moment, Edward was definitely feeling something in his gut. Whether it be nervousness or the possibility of something bad happening, he did not know. He never really liked this place yet, for Elise he just had to come.

"Edward." Elise called to him and as he swiveled his gaze in her direction, he could see that she was already meters away from him, walking on the dirty snow. He caught up with her as they reached an old area in the cemetery; at least they had the decency not to throw the old graves away. It was like they knew that they'd come back here years after, like they lent a hand without noticing.

"How'd you know where to go?" Edward asked her as they walked farther away. Stunned for a while, as if coming out of a trance, she shrugged not knowing what to say.

"I think I remember."

"Remember what?" Edward urged, suddenly he remembered what William had said; not to push her.

"This place; somehow like I've been here before, but it's definitely different now, very unlike what I know."

"Since you're from here too, maybe you'd been here before to visit an old relative."

"Maybe."

There were clumped graves in the area at almost the edge; their pace fastened, knowing they were at the place.

Elise gave Edward a smile as she held his hand as if to tell him that everything was fine. He leaned in closer to her in response, wanting the same thing.

"Hansen." She breathed all of a sudden as the couple passed a few graves; they gravestones had been changed at least tens of years before, battered from the weather and falling into pieces yet the words etched as bright as day.

"Hm?" Edward replied, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Oh nothing." She shook her head. "I just read one of the last names on the grave."

"The Hansens, I take? They were good friends of my family, I remember they had this boy who's acne was terrible." Edward chuckled as he tried to lighten the mood.

Elise laughed along, "You're horrible. You should be ashamed of yourself for teasing the kid."

"Not my fault, he used to get a kick out of throwing rocks at windows just to see them break, one old lady used to even shout at the boy."

Yet instead of laughing at his story as he expected her to, she only sighed and said in a surprised manner, "I can't believe you still remember those things, it seems like everything just happened days ago."

Edward gave a wry smile at the memory of all those experiences flashing through his head that night, it made his head spin just thinking about it.

"My memories just seem to be all hazy." She muttered sadly and Edward placed a hand on her back as he whispered in her air, a smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry, you'll remember it someday, I promise."


	37. Chapter 37

She froze; her thin, tall body just like stone except her hair which was lightly flying from the cold breeze. Her eyes widened as shock consumed her beautiful features. It was horrible and it felt like her eyes were betraying her. Something plunged in her stomach and tightness came over her chest. It had to be a trick of light, a mirage, yet it was as clear as day, etched on the weathered gravel stone.

_**Elise Andrea Fulton Black**_

_**Born: February 21, 1901**_

_**Died: October 3, 1918**_

_**Loving daughter; memorable friend; **_

_**May the heavens watch over her always & forever.**_

She opened her mouth but closed it, having nothing to say. Speechless, she bent down and traced her fingers on the etched words. Her name was Elise Andrea Black, no doubt about it and it said little but droplets of tears began to roll down her eyes. It was all confusing, all too sudden and she couldn't describe the feeling, the feeling of happiness, perhaps? Since she'd been able to find out a piece of who she was? Or was it sadness, on not knowing what she had done in that time of her life, knowing only what was written.

Smooth fabric rubbed against her skin as Edward enveloped her in his arms, neither of them wanting to speak. She leaned closer to him, kneeling on the wet grass and inhaling his scent; she felt relaxed like that, his arms wrapped around her body as he pressed himself against her as they crouched on the grass, their boots and jeans muddy but neither of them caring one bit, the scene seemed perfectly right at the time and they both closed their eyes, a smile grazing their flawless features. It was definitely a feeling neither one of them had expected at that moment.

_Elise? _He called unto her and her eyes fluttered open as if to come back to reality. Her ocean eyes gazed upon his amber ones just inches away from her.

_Yes?_

_Are you…Surprised? I know it's all hard to take in_ He asked, motioning to the gravestone in front of them.

_Surprised, happy, everything. It's just lifting, really. Knowing a little piece of me etched on stone out here in Chicago. _

_So you remember._

Her smile vanished as she shook her head. _No. _

His heart seemed to drop by her statement but tried his best to smile, brushing a piece of stray raven lock out of her face. _Who knew you'd be here as well?_

_Did you ever think we knew each other long ago? _She asked all of a sudden, her eyes had a sort of glaze on them as she tried to reminisce on her childhood, on what happened before this terrible journey that would last forever.

He was taken aback by the statement but tugged on a grin and mysteriously uttered the word maybe.

She furrowed her eyebrows, she believed him. "Really now." She asked, too curious for her own good.

Edward regretted his answer but couldn't help but blame her as well since she started the whole topic about the two of them. Great, the day hadn't ended yet, nor did his plan and her she was going to poke and prod her way until he gave up and told her something he'd regret in the end.

"You're keeping something from me." She whined as she gave him a look and stood up brushing her dark jeans that hugged her long legs perfectly.

"Why do you always think that?" Avoiding the question was his plan in mind but Elise could see through that.

He stood up as well and smirked as he said again, "Why do you always want to know everything?"

She gave him a playful glare as she walked away from him, looking at the other graves. "I wonder if my father's here." She muttered to herself.

"Name?"

"Chrostopher."

"Christopher?"

"Chrostopher."

"That's a strange name." He said with a laughing smile but she only looked away as if she was still angry.

"You can't be angry just because I wouldn't tell you something."

"Oh I am. If we were friends before, what's wrong with telling me now?"

"I never said we were friends." They were definitely more than that.

"Well, you implied it."

"I was just teasing you, Elise." Lies.

She only sighed as to put it all aside since apparently, she thought she was just making a big fuss about nothing but a careless joke on Edward's part.

"It wasn't a nice joke."

Edward tried to look his best, at being crestfallen.

"My apologies." He murmured.

She gave him a small smile before pointing to the clump of graves before them. If Edward had a beating heart, it would've skipped a beat at that moment when he saw his parent's grave and not to mention, even his own.


	38. Chapter 38

Edward glanced upon Elise. This was the moment he was waiting for, the time he was just too sure that his plan would work. Elise had, for the most part, lost her memory at that site. According to William, kneeling unto the dirty ground, palms stained with brown mud, she lost consciousness. If his plan would work, everything would fall into place like that rainy night.

Elise reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze, encouraging him to move forward to the graves of his parents. He looked around, noticing how the headstones had changed yet what remained were the same words that haunted him. How he was still alive, a thousand years later and that they have been gone more than he could ever recall. Them, a distant memory, refreshed yet still distant and he, a creature never to be forgotten, always somehow present no matter what, until the end of time.

"Do you think they're somewhere better?" She asked him, the simplicity of the question even stalling him to answer.

He nodded and gestured to the other graves. "Definitely. Your family, mine and others present here. I'm pretty sure they're somewhere so much better than here."

"And us, we have our own purpose." She stated. "For being here on Earth. The sadness would never end, if we just keep living in the past. Thus, we should move on."

Edward nodded at her words but somehow thought that she was more on reassuring herself about her unknown past than his own. He silently brushed a hand on the markings of his mother's name, the letters becoming even more striking.

Edward gave Elise a smile, "What do you think is down there in my grave?"

"A coffin, most definitely."

"And inside?"

"Either empty or they replaced your nonexistent corpse with another person. Carlisle probably knows."

"How sure are you?" His smirk was definitely evident that time and Elise furrowed her brow as she asked warily, "Are you teasing me?"

His smile reflected opposite of what he was feeling at the moment as he gave her a laughing grin. In which she pouted upon.

She sighed as she responded sarcastically, "What do you want me to do? Dig a hole?"

Edward shrugged teasingly, "Do you want to?"

She only gave another pout and glared at him. "I'm seriously reconsidering our friendship right now."

He moved away as she took of her gloves and soothed away some of the moist soil. She really was going to do it.

"Well, are you going to stare at me or help?" She asked, frustrated. Her hands in the dirt as she dug her hands into the ground. Edward only blinked, sadness washed over him as well as annoyance. It was a dumb idea on his part, his plan being to make her dig a hole and maybe she'd remember the night she'd lost her memory. It had been obvious what the result was and here it was another plan to cross out. He was currently losing his mind just trying to make her happy.

"Well?" She shot at him in which he forced as smile and shook his head.

"You do know I was kidding about the whole ordeal."

She only gave him a frustrated look as she began to fling dirt at him and wiped her palms unto the padded jacket he was currently wearing.

He laughed at her childishness as she began to wipe soil on his face, her warm breath against her cheek.

"I dislike you right now." She said, laughing as well as soon as she got every sight of brown mud out of her palms and unto Edward's clothing.

"You should thank me for not getting back at you for the mess you've done." He replied back, a wide grin on his face, pointing at the soiled jacket, his white v-neck shirt adorned with several brown lines and some soil stuck on one of his ruddy cheeks. He still looked perfect, however, even though decorated in dirt.

Elise laughed, "Your entire fault."

Silence suddenly consumed them as Edward turned back to the graves, thinking how many times it'd take until he could succeed making the somehow impossible come true, on how Elise would get all her memories back.

"It's strange, coming back to all this." Edward murmured to himself. "It's like, the memories are running through my head all over again."

Still a bit lost in the moment he grabbed unto Elise's hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles, not seeing the surprised expression on her face at his gesture. "Thank you for coming with me today, it means a whole lot."

She could only smile as he stood up and helped her to her feet as well. With a last glance at the graves, they went off back to the parked car at the curb.

Edward turned to Elise and asked curiously, "Why do you remember your father and not anyone else?"

She thought for a moment then shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I don't really know. I think it's because my father and I were together most of the time. My mother had always been away for some reason."

"Yet, it's just the two of them you remember? No one else?"

She only shook her head.


	39. Chapter 39

"Elise!"

Rosalie called to her as soon as they stepped into the lobby of the hotel. She was in one of the couches and was with Alice, many shopping bags crowded beside them as both were grinning like mad at their success of seizing the day through shopping relentlessly. Alice pulled Elise down to sit beside her and the two girls began chattering to her about how their day went whilst shoving different kinds of shopping bags unto Elise's lap.

Edward, who was currently being ignored by the two girls since all they could do was gush to Elise on how she'd miss pretty much everything worth calling important, bit his lip and covered up a laugh at Elise's stunned expression with a fake cough.

She then shot him a glare knowing exactly what he was thinking at the moment.

Rosalie cocked an ivory brow at Edward and said, "Someone's just jealous they couldn't get anything for Elise."

Edward only grinned back at her whilst tapping his head, replying "Memories last a lifetime, material things are but temporary."

"Unless you get amnesia." Alice added to that. Rosalie nodded and with a smirk stated, "Or passes out."

"You're crossing the line, Rose." He warned but she only smiled.

_Someone's being touchy. _She thought a smirk playing on her lips, knowing he could hear her.

"I've got every right to be." He only replied as Emmett swiftly dumped a sports hat on his head, roughly.

Edward turned and fixed the cap, tuffs of red hair sticking out messily at the bottom, glaring at Emmett at what he did.

"You could have warned me."

"Yet, where's the fun in that?" Emmett smirked as Jasper and William trudged nearer to the group.

"Well, what do you know, we're all here." William announced with a smile and asked Elise how her day went.

"It was unbelievable, the sights were great-" She began but was cut off by Rosalie when the blonde said in a curious voice, "Really now, what kind of sights?" She was talking about Edward, Elise alongside Edward knew what she was talking about and Elise looked away, not saying anything.

Edward snapped, "What's wrong with you, Rose? You know it's rude to interrupt. You've been quite spoken ever since we've arrived. What's gotten into you?"

Edward's voice was of a joking kind but the look he sent Rosalie told her to shut her trap. She only smirked, unfazed by his demands and stood up.

"I just missed Emmett here." She replied, leaning in and kissing Emmett's lips, both of them smirking. "Anyway, we'll be going to our room now. Em, could you bring those up please?"

She then walked away to the elevator as Emmett gave a sigh, gathering the dozens of bags of Rosalie.

"Push over!" Jasper teased as Emmett growled but his smile disappeared when Alice pushed several bags into his arms.

"Ha!" Emmett said, so loud that people looked at them. He then sheepishly strode down the hall, head bent in embarrassment. Alice and Jasper followed suit, going to their room as well.

"So, how was your day?" William repeated once more to Elise after the show was over. Covered in shopping bags, Elsie looked up from all the arranging she was doing.

"Great," She said, Edward beside her, lounging quite comfortably still wearing that Cubs cap that Emmett had gotten him.

"We went to a graveyard after that." She continued, not noticing the way William and Edward's eyes met that precise moment.

William cleared his throat and warily asked, "How was it?"

"Good." Elise replied with a nod of her head and glancing up to meet his eyes said, "I saw my grave."

He nodded his head, "And?" William didn't know what to think of what would happen next that time, whether or not she'd jump up and say "I remember!" or just go on and shrug. To his dismay, it was the latter.

"It was fine, I guess. Shocking at first but I'm glad, knowing a little bit more about myself. I didn't see my father though but that's fine. I guess I just have to move on."

William smiled yet knew that she'd never be able to move on until she regained her memories, fixing that empty spot that she'd been denying all that time. The ability to love.


	40. Chapter 40

The soft light overhead illuminating the dim room, her legs were against her chest as she wrapped her arms around her figure, mind racing, clock ticking.

They were still in the clothes they had worn that day yet, when they reached the room, neither of them changed but instead sat on the bed, neither of them speaking as they let the silence of the room overtake them.

Edward closed his eyes as he murmured that he had to take a rest just for a while and Elise only nodded, once again, like most of the time, immersed in her thoughts which, although he didn't want to admit it, irritated Edward most of the time.

"You knew didn't you?" She asked him as he opened an eye to look at her. "You knew that I was there. I saw it in your eyes Edward; we really did know each other in our past lives."

With that statement he sat up, he could not tell her anything of the past, whether she believed him or not, it just didn't feel right telling, or even showing her the events that concerned him or any other for that matter.

"It's true." He replied, not wanting to lie to her.

Her dark blue orbs spoke of desperation when her pair of eyes met Edward's. "Why won't you tell me about it?" Elise was sure that he wouldn't say anything at all and it was enough to make her wary.

Yet, she already knew too much and that was it. It broke his heart seeing her infuriated and saddened about him keeping mum but it was all he could do.

"I'm sorry." He said, "I just can't tell you about anything. You need to be able to remember it yourself."

Her calm face flashed with something Edward had not seen before on her features. The temperament broken, her emotions tackled him and drowned him like a tidal wave.

"Isn't it practically obvious that whatever I try to do, I can't seem to get my idiotic memories to come back?!" Her face was furious, etched with a certain hint of madness and anxiety that she was trying to hold in all this time, which had been pulsing to get out. He tried grabbing hold of her to calm down, wishing only to rid her worries with but sweet words like he'd wanted to do all this time but she was on her feet before he even attempted to make a move.

"Look, I know this is dumb and childish but I'm getting sick of this, of people keeping everything from me." Elise ranted. "They say it's for my own good and such. But the truth is the more distant I am to everything happening, the more it seems that everybody's got something bad to hide.

"William, I know he only means the best but the secrets and the lies he tells is driving mad! I'm not that of a wreck to not know what's going on, that Chicago was but another phase for something I can't even tell.

"I've always been tempted, Edward. To just get a flash or a phrase out of their thoughts yet I know that guilt would consume me but in the end of the day, I tell myself why all of you don't have a conscience eating you up with all the things you falsely tell me, of all the things you fake a smile and hide from me."

"I'm not hiding anything from you." Edward replied, hastily. He didn't know what she was thinking at the moment whether she'd suddenly disappear or what. It made it harder for him, not knowing of her reaction to things and if what he'd say would make her leave or not.

"Typical answer." She scoffed as he looked at her surprised at the way she was acting, which was not the typical Elise. She raced to the nearby table beside the wall and got the Jasper's car keys. Edward knew not to bother her as she said that she'd like some time alone for a while.

"I'll be out for at least two hours, don't bother waiting up." She said, monotone as if not caring at all. Yet, the way her eyes flickered to his face in a brief moment, he knew that she was only setting up a fake bravado at that time.

He nodded as she swiftly exited the room leaving him alone on the humongous bed. Great, she just had to make a fit this time. He didn't blame her for what she did but it was a wrong time and in a wrong place. He had not said anything about her past life, sparking that wild fire to spread all over and he had no one else to blame. Yet, he had done all he could just for her. Just to make her happy once more, the Elise he used to know. Was it that much of a sin?

Happiness, deep inside it was sort of known to Edward that it was not Elise's joy that pushed him to the limit, but his. Whether or not, he'd like to admit that, he was selfish and wanted his happiness, out of all.

Edward wanted his Elise back and it was a matter of time and endless tricks of fate that will lead to that end.


	41. Chapter 41

It took a few minutes for Edward to finally realize that Elise was really gone and that her sudden outburst wasn't something that would disappear in a split second. Somehow still drenched in foolishness and guilt he started thinking about the things he shouldn't have done in the first place and how much he blamed himself for the things happening at the moment even if it wasn't of his control. Lying on the bed, he drowned in his self-pity yet knowing that it was an unhealthy thing to do, he couldn't do anything but be useless in his current situation confused on what to do. People seemed to think he was perfect, he knew everything and even he was convinced that his so called gift gave him more edge than most of his kind. His gift was looked upon as something that was unrepeatable, one in a million, something endless yet the more things go, the more he felt that none of it were real. From the stunning realization of Bella Swan to the unknown past of Elise Schuyler, it seemed that his capabilities, of what he thought he could do, was diminishing ever so slightly as that certain pride that carried him seemed to slip away.

Without knowing it, Edward was slowly drifting around and sinking into his thoughts, letting them engulf him and letting go of where he was and what he was doing, something that he never thought would happen to him. As William explained it, totally immersed in his thoughts that no one could shake him awake. It was a feeling or a moment that happens to Elise more times than could be imagined. He was, in a better sense, drowning in his thoughts and he couldn't have been calmer at that moment.

The continuous knocking on the door and the ring of the bell made William Schuyler groan and slowly make his way to the door. Disheveled from rolling over his bed ever since he and the boys came back, he still look oddly perfect in only a faded blue shirt and boxer shirts.

"What do you want? Make it quick." He greeted with a roll of his eyes at his guest, as he led him to the main bed space.

"William, this is not time for games." Edward sighed as the older, yet childish boy, flopped back on his bed as he snuggled close to bed sheets and pillows.

"Oh?" He questioned teasingly as he crossed his arms over his head looking at the other boy who decided to lean against the wall.

With a sigh, Edward began to enumerate the events that had passed before the visit he had paid William and with more words the red headed boy muttered, the more the smile on William's face began to disappear.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Edward asked William warily and he nodded to the reply, sure of what he knows to be Elise.

"She just needs some time alone. When did she say she'd be back again?"

Edward shrugged and answered, "At least 30 minutes from now." He had been too caught up that he had wasted his time, lying on that bed that he forgot about the struggle and the grip of reality but realizing that and jerking out of all the words and memories dancing in his head at that time, he went straight to William.

"Oh." William replied, "Was she infuriated?"

Edward thought for a moment, not in the mood to make anything a joking matter at the moment as he replied cautiously that she was quite of that certain nature that he never knew existed in her demeanor.

Yet, what did he really know about her? They'd only been reunited the last month and have only spent time together at least a hundred years ago. Sure, they've talked, spoken and bonded the past few weeks but Edward reminded himself that he shouldn't think of Elise the same as what he had known her to be when they were mere children.

William sighed, regret filling him. He had only wanted to protect her but Elise had been right, the more he tried to do that, the more things got out of control. Take Theo for example, he'd been there and he'd kept her away from anything only until the fact that in the end, she had to confront him even then with no knowledge of what he had done and was capable of.

The slim metallic phone on William's bedside table then began to ring and with a swift movement it was already placed in his hand, as he spoke into the phone.

"Edward's with me." He confirmed to the other person in the phone whose voice was clearly Alice's.

Within a matter of seconds, William was fixed up and ready to go, his phone already in the pocket of the leather jacket he was wearing. Without even a word exchanged by the two boys they both could frantically hear Alice's voice in their heads when she said that Elise was about to get hurt.


	42. Chapter 42

The whole scene ran through Edward's mind as Carlisle shouted at him to calm down and as William's expression and worry matched his own as the whole crew begun to run down the stairway, not bothering to wait for the damned elevator. No one even knew where she was aside from what happened, or to be more precise, what would happen to her.

All they knew was the events in Alice's vision: Elise's limp body lying on the rocky ground, obviously passed out she had no inkling as the gravel and sand scratched and injured her pale body.

"Where is my car key?" Jasper asked Edward frantically when they reached the lobby.

Through gritted teeth, Edward answered, "It's with Elise."

"What?! Great, once again we have no means of transportation in an emergency." He complained as the others were already running through the hotel parking lot in the basement, looking for their suitable car.

"Alice, do you know where she is?" William asked, as calm as possible as he quickly unlocked one of the many cars around and slid in.

"No, I'm sorry." She murmured as she led Jasper to a sports car at the other end.

"Okay." Carlisle instructed. "Just call the others when you find her."

"I'm going alone." Edward announced, already climbing in a black Porsche and driving out of the place before anyone could start the engine of their cars.

He drove around aimlessly through downtown Chicago, peering out the window once in a while as the cars seemed to get more numerous as the night passed.

He stopped on a curb after minutes of endless searching not even knowing where to go. He shut his eyes and thought for a second. Imagining and recalling Alice's vision. Although painful to watch, he replayed it over and over again. There were some trees in the area and it was covered with gravel and sand, the background had been a large couture of a rock and a familiar sound came rushing in every few seconds. Suddenly it all just came into place. Making a U- turn at the nearest exit and went the opposite way that he, and apparently, the others were going, Edward sped off to the direction of the lake they had just visited earlier that day and wished that for once, he was correct.

.

.

Elise Black shut the door of the car and the sound echoed through out the desolated area. She drove around town not really having a destination but somehow, fate led her to the place that she'd just been hours ago with Edward although, something brought her to the direction of the edge of a rocky cliff instead of the park area of the place.

She sat on the edge, her boot clad feet dangling in the open air and the wind blowing through her ebony hair. Here, she calmed herself down not knowing where all the anger and how volatile she had been half an hour ago with Edward. Poor boy, he was probably stunned by her rash behaviour but the truth was it couldn't be helped, whether she liked it or not. It was obvious that everyone had been keeping something from her, their eyes laced with deceit and pity when looking at her, when talking. They knew something that concerned her and Edward knowing something, and what she resumed was important, from her past and refusing to say fueled that rage and made her lose control. Every since she had met the boy, her life had just been spiraling down to oblivion as she got tangled up even more in lies and drama, in things she didn't want to even be part of.

The loud crashing of the waves and the moon coming up, the place all to herself, Elise grinned and relished it all. The peaceful landscape without the treacheries of life tainted with it. She looked up to the dark sky, stars twinkling and the horizon stretching out as far as you could imagine. Getting lost in nature, she stood up, twirling around, dancing to the rhythm of the waves and the sound of the crickets and the distant zoom of cars on the highway.

She grinned to herself, laughing at her exuberant actions yet continued to twirl around, around and around and around. Her mood light and her mind blank, her eyes closed and her breath steady, tranquil in her state as she twirled, down, down, down into nothingness.


	43. Chapter 43

Edward stepped out of the car in a hurry, slamming the door with more power than he intended to as he jogged unto the grassy area of the park, searching for Elise. After looking all over, he went out to the sandy shore of the lake as he ran around, trying to keep his composure as he looked everywhere; fingers crossed that she really was there at the moment.

That was when he saw her. Up on the cliff at least how many meters away from where he was standing. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tiredly sat on the ground. He wasn't at all physically tired but the stress of trying to find her had been immense. He looked up to see Elise standing against the cold hard wind that was flapping against her long black hair as she spread her arms out, her eyes closed.

Edward gave a small grin as she started swaying with the wind, as if trying to blend in. He gave a small chuckle, just like Elise to be as childish as ever dancing with the wind.

The cell phone in his pocket buzzed all of a sudden.

"Did you find her?" Rosalie's worried voice sounded from the other line.

"Yes, she's fine." Edward answered as he gave another glance at her just to make sure, true enough she was still there a grin on her face as she the flowing white blouse she wore whipped in the air as she twirled around gracefully.

"What do you mean?"

"She's fine, she's just…. Dancing." He said with a smile on his face as he gave a chuckle.

"Oh." She said, surprised. "Where are you?"

"Lake Michigan."

"We'll be there in a moment then." She said then, she hung up the phone.

Edward began to walk to where Elise was, wary if she would scold him for chasing after her or what. The stars were up and the night seemed to cover up Elise's figure so that when he looked up, it seemed like he saw her still standing there. Only to take a second glance to find out that she was naught to be seen.

Great, this was always happening. Whenever complacency started to kick in, that was when all that mattered started to get out of hand.

He ran unto the end of the shore, to the cliff to find her sprawled out on the sandy beach. He cursed out of frustration as he pinpointed every sort of thing at himself.

"Elise, wake up! Are you okay?" He said frantically, trying to make her conscious to no avail.

He picked Elise up and brushed away some ebony strands of her hair out of her face as she lay limp in his arms, even colder than he. He then sat on the sandy shore, stroking a thumb to her porcelain face as he watched the horizon, not knowing what to do and not even wanting to do anything with all the past mistakes he had done. Edward just sat there, staring at the horizon trying with all his might not to come undone. With Elise, it seemed like everything he was trying to do to save her was completely the opposite of doing so.

He couldn't even look at her knowing he was yet again the reason for all this drama. All because he was such a stupid, stupid boy who couldn't even anticipate the moment.

.

"Where is she?" A voice pierced the silent air as the relentless waves crashed feet away from where Edward was seated.

"What in the world did you do, Cullen?" William shouted as he seethed and letting his emotions get the best of him, he swiftly punched the boy in the jaw.

"Calm down William." Carlisle said, pulling him away from Edward who reluctantly stood up as Esme carried Elise off.

Edward stepped forward and taunted William. "Go on, hit me again. Hit me as many times as you can. I deserve it."

"Stop trying to be all high and mighty on how you deserve it. You are only a child compared to us but are you that insolent to not even protect her?" William shouted; his face livid and his fists clenched. Edward knew about Alice's vision yet all he did was stand there when any minute, Elise would've fallen.

"I know I've made mistakes…"

"For God's sake, Edward, more mistakes than I can count!" William shouted yet again as Edward winced at his words, Carlisle stood beside him saying nothing yet not moving an inch.

"I'm sorry." Edward apologized. "I just can't think right! Lately, all I've been doing to make things correct seems like the opposite."

"Well, until you can think right, stay away from Elise." William said, pronouncing every word and every syllable as to etch it into Edward's mind. Acid dripped on his voice as he gave the boy one last look and walked away, picking up Elise from Esme's hold and walking away from them.

"I don't know what I-" Edward explained but Carlisle put a hand up to silence him.

"Edward, we'll talk later, okay?"

He looked at Carlisle, Esme and their disappointment. "….Sure."


	44. Chapter 44

Gasps and murmurs were heard when a tall, pale, raven haired male entered the hotel lobby. In his arms was a girl who seemed to be related to him. Clutched to his chest, the girl looked pale, a notch paler than the person carrying her, and was all but limp.

The hotel manager gulped as one of the receptionists pushed him to talk to the intimidating man and the group of equally intimidating people trailing behind him.

"Sir, is there something going on here?" The pudgy man asked as he blocked the way of William as he straightened his tie nervously.

William only gave a sidelong glance and curtly replied, "No."

As he easily moved the manager out of the way, the man in question seemed close to faint.

"Nothing to see here, she just fainted." Carlisle announced to the curious faces all over. A number of them turned red as they went on what they had been doing embarrassed at snooping into other's business.

"Great, we're the center of attention again. I told Carlisle to just rent a house but no, we had to settle with a hotel that stinks like humans." Jasper muttered under his breath as Alice rolled her eyes.

"Can't you save your drama for later?" She replied as he shot her a glare.

"There! That's the boy!" A middle aged gentleman said out of the chaos. He had been talking to two security guards but when he saw Edward, he began to quickly make his way to him, his face anything but happy.

"You! You're the kid who stole my Porsche! I saw you from the basement stairs." He scolded, his face heated up in anger as he accusingly pointed at Edward. The boy however, noted the man as just a nonsense person and without even meaning it, apologized.

"Deepest apologies, I was in a hurry." He replied hastily seeing that the group was leaving him and that Carlisle was caught up talking to the manager to even look his way. "I'll buy you a new car." He proposed just to make the man shut his trap, blinking twice the man made sure that the teen was indeed saying what he did.

"What?"

"I said that I'd buy you a new car, sir." Edward said. "I'll send the check to your room later. Now if you'll excuse me."

He then walked briskly to catch up with the group.

"You don't even know my-" The man said gruffly but was cut off by Edward calling out "Room 312." As he quickly jogged off to meet the others.

.

"What do you think of it, William?" Carlisle asked. Elise was currently lying on William's bed in more comfortable clothes provided by Alice. Her face serene yet paper white and her body colder than any of theirs combined.

"I don't even know what's happening." He sighed, a hand to his face looking distraught. "We should probable just wait."

"Maybe we should call-" Esme suggested but both William and Carlisle cut her suggestion off with a shake of their heads in disapproval.

"They'd only be our last resort. I don't want anyone getting involved yet again." William stated, end of conversation.

"What about Edward?" Emmett asked, talking about the lone red headed boy sitting by himself in his room, cursing for all he had done and drowning in self-pity.

"I'll go talk to the boy." Carlisle said, standing up but before leaving the room suggested to William. "Unless you want to rip him apart first."

The proposition made William crack a miniscule smile as he shook his head, somberly saying that whatever Edward was going through and the guilt seeping through his veins was enough punishment already.

.

Carlisle entered the room with the spare key Edward had given him and when he looked at the boy, he saw nothing but what seemed like an angsty teenager lying on the bed.

"William will forgive you, don't worry about it." Carlisle broke the silence, but Edward only snorted and looked away in response, not believing a word.

"Unlike you Edward, he knows that we make mistakes. Thus we learn from them." He continued but Edward shook his head, disagreeing.

"Yet, as I remember correctly, unlike most people I just keep making mistakes one after the other." He sounded exasperated.

"Get a hold of yourself." Carlisle scolded at the way Edward was being as lifeless and knowing that Edward was mentally committing suicide in his head. "You're being too emotional again."

Edward just rolled his eyes yet again and scoffed.

"Look, you keep making rash decisions as far as I can tell. Think, Edward, maybe that would help."

"You don't think I do?"

"I think that you're just basking in the moment and letting your emotions and feelings take over. Listen to your head next time, my boy."

"Why are you being so….?" He trailed off.

"Because you are being too pessimistic for my liking. Look, Elise will pull through whatever she's going through right now. In just a few days or so, she'll be up and about like always." Carlisle explained, patting him on the back.

"And you know this how?" Edward replied, trying to be a little more realistic to their situation.

"She just went unconscious, nothing out of the ordinary for a vampire."

"You forget, Carlisle. Elise is different." Edward murmured, looking to the floor.


	45. Chapter 45

A week, all it took was a week to make Edward go crazy, Carlisle to panic and William to lock everyone out of his emotions.

One week stuck in Chicago, their visit extended and the hotel staff wondering about the dead girl they were keeping inside.

Seven days of pure torture, of shaky breaths and the hues of their once shining golden eyes inching into a black hole devouring every source of life they had left.

168 hours of non-stop-

"I can't take this anymore, damn it!" Edward stood up from his chair with such force that he knocked it off balance, falling to the floor.

Shaky with composure, Carlisle responded with a "Calm down." Although, since he had been saying it more often than what he wanted, it seemed sort of meaningless already.

"We have to do something. We can't just stay here and stare at her all day long."

"Edward keep your voice down, will you?" William said, opening up a vile of thick red liquid and pouring some of it for Edward, the smell of the blood seeming to heighten every sense of yearning from everyone in the room.

"There's enough for all of you." Carlisle announced as he saw Jasper stand up swiftly. "She's getting better Edward, don't worry."

Edward gave a quick glance at the girl lying serenely on the bed, her pale face not as bleach white as before, her skin better than the past couple of days. Maybe he had been over reacting again. Maybe all she needed was just a bit of recuperation.

.

The others were out, probably off to get some food or went somewhere to wind of for a bit. William was in the other room, taking a bath and Edward was in charge of Elise for just a moment. Brushing the hair out of her face, Edward closed his eyes; maybe for a while he would try to be able to communicate with Elise through their thoughts.

Reaching into her mind, he searched what seemed to be racing thoughts that filled her head, memories flashing in lightning speed as her sub conscious murmured something too fast he could not comprehend.

_Elise. _He said, wondering if she could hear him. _Elise!_ He called out yet again and the mumbling stopped for a second.

_I'm worried, Edward. _Her sad voice filled the empty void.

_Elise?You can hear me?_ He replied, hope in his voice.

_Thank you, Edward. I'm glad I met you as well. _Happiness.

_Elise, what are you talking about? _Concern.

_Don't worry, everything will be alright. _Optimism.

_Elise, what's happening?_ Confusion.

_No! He can't be! _She screamed.

_Elise! Elise!_

Somehow the connection was broken when William pulled him away.

"Edward, are you okay?" He asked. Edward's eyes had been hollow, his breath shallow and his face worried.

Edward only ignored him though and tried to communicate with Elise, only to find that this time, he was blocked.

"What's happening?" William asked.

"She's in trouble. I don't know what but something's wrong." Edward panicked as Elise shifted on the bed as if to shake away something painful. William could sense it too.

"Look, William, I know you don't agree but the only way to help her and wake her up is to find Theo." Edward reasoned. "He would know about these things, what we can do to help her."

"How would you know that?" William replied, he knew Theodore Ambler better than anyone and he did not like asking for his help when he knew that there would be a great price in return.

"I just have a feeling that Theo would know of these things."

"He dislikes you, you know that." William said with a smirk. "Besides, a feeling is no more than thin air. You cannot judge on that alone."

"I'd just ask him about it, nothing else."

"He'd want a price in return and it won't be a mere useless thing."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Spoken by a brave and ignorant little boy." William replied. "You're mistakes will only cause trouble."

"Then I'll try not to make any."

He thought for a minute but shook his head, "Theo would not know of such things and if he ever did he would not share his information with any of us.

"Besides," he continued. "It would be fatiguing to even try to convince the hard headed man to say anything."

"But he likes Elise."

"Yet, liking someone doesn't mean they have to do something when said person is in danger."

Edward gave a low growl. "Do you want to save her or not? Since, what it seems like right now is you don't even care at all."

"I do care, all she needs is time, Edward. Not the whole vampire community scratching at our backs."


	46. Chapter 46

Through the busy streets of downtown Chicago, no one seemed to notice the group of teenagers seated on a couple of steps in the midst of all the chaos.

"Sadness only makes you weary yet does not do any good in solving the problem at hand." Jasper announced, breaking the silence among them.

"Great, wise words spoken by the true master of self-pity and everything in between." Emmett countered with a laugh, trying as always to lighten the mood. Rosalie shot him a look, however, when she saw that Edward's face was purely void of emotion and was not paying any attention to anyone at the moment.

"Cheer up, Eddie. She'll wake up soon. Let's get some reassurance shall we?" Emmett said as he patted Alice's head and asking, "She's going to be fine, right?"

"She's going to wake up, Edward, just be patient." Alice reassured for the hundredth time. She had a vivid vision of Elise talking with someone. Her eyes filled with surprise as if she couldn't believe a thing that the person had said. She was outside a familiar convenient store in Forks and was looking every bit like herself. Even if Edward had seen the vision, he was not at all relieved, knowing that Alice's visions weren't always what it seemed it was and that there was no specific time on when it was.

"Now would be a perfect time." Edward mumbled to himself in annoyance.

"I need to go back." He said. Yet, the other people just pushed him down when he tried to stand up.

"You need to chill; we've been drinking out of a bottle these past few weeks so you better calm down before you do something rash." Jasper commented, calming Edward down in the process. Carlisle didn't want them hunting on unfamiliar land, they might cross some other vampire's land and might cause even more trouble so in the meantime, only he and William were the ones able to go out, bringing back vials for them.

Suddenly, everyone's phone rang at that split second and without even looking at the message, it was obvious that they were needed back at the hotel.

Edward furiously ran ahead of the others, shouting back, "I knew I should've stayed. You just had to drag me here to clear my head and look at us now!" Not once was he going to let his foolish self experience what had happen to Bella with Elise.

"Calm down!" Jasper barked at him and Edward, even though he was trying to fight it, released a sigh of frustration as his once strained shoulders eased back.

"Let's go, okay, no more dallying." Rosalie ordered as they got into the car and drove back to where they had originally come from.

.

.

"What happened?" Edward snapped as soon as he reached the room, the others just feet away.

Esme who was leaning on the wall shushed him and told him to go to William who was seated on the bed, a blabbering Elise beside him, talking like there was no tomorrow.

"Hello, Elise." Edward greeted once he was in sight. The chattering then stopped as Elise locked eyes with Edward. A split second passed of her just staring at him as relief filled his insides as he grinned down at her looking as happy as she was when talking to William. Although, after seeing Edward, the emotion drained out of her elfin face and was replaced by something else which was uncertain and could not be determined by Edward.

"What's wrong?" He asked at once when he saw her reaction.

"Nothing." She said, faking a smile and turning back to William, panic in her eyes.

Taken aback from something he had not been expecting, especially from Elise, Edward turned his heel and went off, leaving a shamed looking Elise and William with an edge of pity towards Edward.

Utterly confused, Edward approached Jasper and asked out of curiosity and peace of mind, "What is Elise feeling as of now?"

Jasper, wary towards giving an answer, regrettably told Edward. "She's ashamed, confused and is sort of relieved in a way."

Nevertheless, the couple seemed to have too much in common at that moment, especially when it came to new found emotions.


	47. Chapter 47

To the others, the traditional hugs and concern looks only gave way to smiles and nods from Elise yet reserved for Edward were the shuffling of the feet, awkward silences and the avoidance of any sort of eye contact whatsoever. As the boy willing to do anything to help her, Edward was suppressing his frustration and the confusion. Frustration, of course, not to her as he couldn't even feel ill for Elise but frustration at himself and what he could've done in the past that might have contributed to the distance now set by Elise from him. He wanted desperately to just slip into her thoughts but knew that it would only cause more aggression.

"Elise, what's wrong? Edward's been worried with the way you're acting around him." Rosalie said. Edward was in the other room and only she, Alice and William were left with Elise.

Elise shot William a look, but he only shrugged in reply.

"We're just worried, especially Edward. He thinks he may have done something." Alice continued.

"It's not that, really. He hasn't done anything." Elise replied with a shake of her head. She was recuperating, it was true, yet in a week they would be going back to Forks. William and Carlisle had been absent for at least 2 weeks now and were in a hurry to get back to Washington. Elise was feeling fine, actually. Never better, she had told William, yet she couldn't say anything to Alice and Rosalie at the moment.

"I know how you feel about Edward." Alice said, noticing the slight wince that Elise made when she mentioned his name.

"I had a vision actually, both of you. Both of you were happy, laughing like there was no one but the two of you. Yet, if you don't let us help, I don't think it'd happen anymore."

Elise looked away as she forced herself to say, "I don't want anything to do with Edward Masen." With such decision in her voice, Alice was taken a back.

"Why?" She asked, incredulously. Yet Rosalie stood still and then a smile appeared on her face.

"Say that again, will you?" She asked, almost to a teasing state but Elise shook her head and answered, "You get it, don't you? That was the point."

"It's good news! It's good news! Why aren't you happy?" Rosalie asked. "Edward's been waiting for this and all you had to do was just fall from a cliff, who knew!"

She was so ecstatic she didn't see Alice's confused look and Elise's embarrassed one. William was pretending to pack some things but had a small smile as well.

"I don't get it." Alice piped out.

"She said Edward Masen, Alice!" Rosalie almost shouted.

"Calm down, will you?" William replied to that. "She remembers, okay? It is good news but that stubborn girl over there thinks of it as only a burden she's bound to carry forever." Cocking his head towards Elise he gave a shake of his head.

Alice jumped up, "We have to tell Edward!"

"No. I don't want him to know."

"Why not? Has William told you the whole story yet?"

"Yes and I think it's for the best if we were just friends."

"After all the things Edward has put up with? Look, Elise, he tried his best picking up the pieces with the sudden death of Bella and here you are trying to crush his chances yet again." Rosalie explained.

"It's just- I don't think its right. Ever since I came into your lives it had just been a spiral downwards and nothing else. I've not only caused all of you so much worry but Edward the most and I don't want to let that happen again."

"You know, he'll still be quite pushing you into regaining your memories. What happened this past few week anyway, Elise?"

"I don't know, all I remember was that I was on this cliff and I floated off it all of a sudden without knowing it. Next thing I know, I'm awake with William hovering me and asking if I was doing fine because I had been thrashing on the bed."

"Floated? More of dived head on." Rosalie snorted as she laughed and encircled Elise in her arms. "But I'm glad you're okay, Elise. You've grown on me. You're like a sister now, even better than Alice."

"Hey!" Alice said with mock hurt but looked at Elise and asked, "And your memories?"

"When I woke up, it felt like it never slipped my mind with all the obvious tall tale signs all over the place. I know William and the others were only trying to protect me; Edward trying to make me remember. So I don't blame them or anything."

Alice gave a sigh, "Look, Elise, I know that you think letting go is going to be a good thing but I really think that in this instance it's not only you in this situation but Edward as well. Just think about it."


	48. Chapter END

Carlisle came in the door the very next day, a grin plastered on his face as he enveloped Elise in a hug that he reserved for those one of a kind special occasions.

"How did you know?" The gesture had been obvious with her being all somber and the whole clan being giddy and relieved; it was clearly evident that someone had told him or that the clues were more than suffice for him to get the picture.

"I guessed." He answered with a meek smile but gently furrowed his brows saying, "Yet, to the fact that you aren't all sunshine when Rosalie and Alice are but smiles is a little confusing."

Yet another time to say her unacceptable reply and judgment, she gave a sigh and slowly but surely explained, "I don't want to tell Edward."

"Look, Dr. Cullen-" She tried explaining but Carlisle interrupted.

"Elise." He stated with a smile, "You've been calling me Carlisle for weeks now, I really think you should continue to do so."

She only nodded, getting a hold of herself and reminding herself that what had happened the past months were but reality and that the freshest memories of the people she now stayed with were but distant in theirs.

"Edward has to know, Elise. I know that you've thought hard of this but I know you only want what's best for him but through everything he'd gone through for you, I think he only wants that simple thing that you're just unwilling to let him get hold of."

"Which is?"

"Your love, Elise. Just as simple as that." He replied with a slight smile, leaving her to think it over like all the people she'd talked to had done. Guilt consumed her as she knew that everyone was against the decision of letting go of the tight roped Edward.

"Look, it's no harm in trying just one more time." William entered with an encouraging smile. "The memories are fresh, the feelings you thought you've lost regained. What's there to lose after 90 so years? Nothing. You've got a whole eternity, Elise. Live for once."

Elise only gave a small smile on the encouragement of William yet did not do anything.

"Do I really have to tell you to get out and go to your own room? You've been hogging the bed for more than a week now; I deserve it for the 3 days before we leave, now shoo."

He gave her, her room key and before she knew it, Elise was back in the room she had shared with Edward.

.

.

Edward was fixing some clothes when she arrived. The look he gave her was of nothing yet, he could not fool her with his stoic behaviour at all.

"Edward, I'm sorry." Were the first words that came from her mouth. Not a greeting, nor a smile. It was straight to the point.

She offered him a grin, as if to ease the barrier that seemed to be in between them, "Look, we need to talk."

It sounded so cliché to her ears when she said it and looking up at Edward, whose skin had a faint shimmer to it, which was given off due to the morning light, it somehow made it harder for her to tell him.

"I know." He said with that smile that seemed to stay glued on Elise's mind even though she couldn't see it anymore. The words though, surprised her.

"What?" She asked, flabbergasted.

He only took another step closer to her and repeated his words, "I know."

Their bare arms were barely touching now, the barrier melting as her skin shivered in hunger for the contact that only seemed like a whisper of sorts.

"You do know?" She asked, making sure they were talking about the same thing.

"Sure." He said, that grin still adorning that Adonis face, his metallic copper hair shown magnificently just above her eyelevel as he pressed foreheads with her. There bodies were touching now, his soft cotton shirt against the flimsy tank top she was wearing.

"Elise." With that, those thin pink lips brushed itself on her collarbone with such tenderness that she had to grip on the first thing her fingers had caught; Edward's shoulder. She felt his lips tug up in a smile.

"Andrea." he continued, his lips leaving butterfly kisses down her jaw line.

"Black." He finished, lightly kissing the corner of her lips and looking her straight in the eyes. Golden orbs met Sapphire ones in a vain attempt to show any emotion they had left off.

"Now how could I forget such name?" He said, barely a murmur. Their foreheads touching, their breathing steady and Edward's hands firmly locked unto her face almost to the point of wanting to stay like that and forget everything else. For the first time, they both felt their eyes flutter close and their lips mold together in a moment of true and utter emotion. For once, neither apprehension nor doubt in the mind of the couple. At that moment, it was only them.


	49. Chapter Epilogue

Tucked beneath the sheets, the couple stayed pressed against each other, their arms intertwined and their eyes closed as the boy's fingers made random circles on her back, trailing her smooth skin against the feel of his hands.

"What do you think they're doing in there?" A voice questioned from the hallway. Both their ears perked up to the conversation that seemed to be at their door. They shared a fleeting glance at each other and looked towards the mahogany door separating the couple from another pair in the hotel corridor.

"Probably something nasty." The other voice countered, somehow Elise and Edward could see the smug look on the boy's face when he said it.

A swat was heard then, "Gross. Not everyone's like you, Emmett."

Elise had to bite her tongue from trying not to snort out a laugh.

"They can probably hear us, Rose." Emmett replied in a fake hush tone.

"And that has ever stopped you, when?"

"Never."

"Let's leave the two alone, shall we." Rosalie added and called out, "Don't do anything we wouldn't."

Yet, to that statement Emmett chuckled, "On second thought, don't do anything we would."

Suddenly, a slight scream of surprise came over Rosalie as they entered their room.

.

"Just don't think about it." Edward whispered to Elise when he saw her expression. He gave a small smile of appreciation that they had time alone together despite all the twists and turns that they had encountered.

"I've been scarred for life, Edward, nothing can save me now."

He gave a large grin at her joke and kissed her temple. Looking straight into her eyes, deeper than anyone had ever done, he lightly said, "I love you."

Knowing the last time he had mentioned those three words to Elise, she had grown wide eyed and unapproachable, he waited steadily yet unsure of the answer that she was going to blurt out.

Light passed through his amber eyes however, when she moved closer to him and kissed him. The words of I love you lightly brushing against his lips when she had said them. His lips tugged upward into a smile of his own as he kissed her softly for the hundredth time that day.

They were, however, interrupted with a staggering buzz of Edward's mobile phone on the nightstand. Seeming urgent, Edward gave a sigh of annoyance when he answered the unidentified number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bloodsucker, it's me, your favourite dog! Sorry to interrupt your worthless trip but you need to come back here." A slight thud and a groan of pain was heard from the other line as the voice of Jacob Black was heard once again. "Yeah, well vacation ends early, dude. You need to get back here, NOW."

The line went dead as Edward and Elise exchanged confused looks.

.

A hundred miles away, however, Jacob Black swiftly slammed a puny looking boy into a bedroom wall once again. His hand on the bloody boy's neck, he hissed, "Could you please explain to me how this little mishap happened again, Mike Newton?"


End file.
